Leeds [UK], June 26: India’s sloppy fielding proved costly in the opening Test against England at Headingley, where the visitors succumbed to a five-wicket defeat. The Test, which saw England chase down a formidable 371-run target, was marred by India’s fielding errors — eight dropped catches that cost them a staggering 250 runs.
Ben Duckett’s explosive 149, Joe Root’s steady unbeaten 53, and Jamie Smith’s quickfire 44* helped England secure a memorable victory on the final day. However, it was India’s missed opportunities in the field that tipped the balance in England’s favour.
Yashasvi Jaiswal was the chief offender, putting down four chances. The first came in the fifth over of the first innings when he dropped Ben Duckett on 11. Duckett went on to score 62 before his eventual dismissal. Two overs later, Ravindra Jadeja dropped another chance off Duckett when he was on 15.
Jaiswal’s struggles continued when he dropped Ollie Pope on 60 in the 31st over. Pope capitalised on the miss, adding another 46 runs to score a century.
Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant dropped Harry Brook on 46 in the 72nd over, who was finally dismissed on 99. Brook was given yet another reprieve by Jaiswal in the 85th over when he was on 82.
Debutant Sai Sudharsan added to India’s woes, dropping Jamie Smith on 19 in the 72nd over. Smith went on to make 40.
In England’s second innings, Jasprit Bumrah missed a return catch from Zak Crawley when he was on 38. Crawley stayed on to score 65. Jaiswal capped off a disappointing outing by dropping Duckett yet again — this time on 97 — and the opener went on to hammer 149.
These dropped chances proved decisive, allowing England to maintain their strong record at Headingley and take a 1-0 lead in the series.