By Rohit - Jun 27, 2025 07:40 PM
The first Test between India and England at Leeds may have delivered thrilling batting and tight spells of bowling, but for India, it also exposed a glaring weakness that cost them dearly: fielding. Dropped catches, sloppy movements, and overall poor body language in the field contributed heavily to their five-wicket loss. And one man who didn’t hold back after watching the debacle? Former head coach Ravi Shastri.
Shastri, now a broadcaster with Sky Sports, sent a strong message aimed straight at Gautam Gambhir and his coaching staff, urging them to step up and take control of India’s basics, especially in the field.
To put it mildly, India’s fielding in the Leeds Test was forgettable. Yashasvi Jaiswal, one of India’s brightest young stars, dropped four catches during the match, most of them at crucial junctures. The missed chances allowed England batters like Ollie Pope and Harry Brook to settle in and mount pressure-releasing partnerships.
India, which had posted a healthy first-innings total of 471, should have had enough firepower to stay ahead. But by letting chances slip literally, they opened the door wide for England’s fightback.
Ravi Shastri didn’t mince his words: “This will be a tough pill for India to swallow. You don’t get in positions like this very often and blow it from there.”
According to Shastri, the issue wasn’t just about one or two players it was a failure of preparation, coordination, and responsibility. And that, in his view, is directly on the coaching staff.
Gautam Gambhir, India’s new head coach, was always expected to bring his no-nonsense attitude to the dressing room. But the Leeds Test seems to have caught even him off guard.
Shastri emphasized the importance of the coaching unit: “I think there’s a big role for the coaching staff. As a captain, Shubman Gill has done more than what could be asked of him. He got a hundred. But you want the basics to be done better.”
The underlying message? It's time for Gambhir and his team to go back to the fundamentals. Fielding isn’t optional—it’s an essential third department in cricket that can often determine the winner in a closely-fought game. A few sharp catches or saved boundaries can tilt momentum. In Leeds, India lacked that edge.
Shastri also came to the defense of Shubman Gill, India’s young and newly appointed Test captain. While some have questioned Gill’s field placements and bowling changes, Shastri made it clear that dropped catches aren’t on the skipper.
“Dropping catches is not in his control,” Shastri said. “That’s where the team, as a unit, has to work harder and get better.”
He also made an important point about India’s batting in the second innings. The middle and lower orders, according to him, lacked grit.
“You’ve got to put a price tag on your wicket,” he added. “You can’t come out and blow a situation where you can get about 550-600 by being timid and meek.”
The crux of Shastri’s message wasn’t just a critique; it was a clear call for a stronger dressing room culture. “These are the areas where you’ve got to be hard at times as a coach. Really hard.”
In other words, it’s time for some uncomfortable conversations behind closed doors. Not to destroy confidence, but to raise standards. For a team with India’s talent pool, substandard fielding should never be a regular storyline.
Gambhir, known for his intensity, is unlikely to ignore this advice. Expect sharp fielding drills, revised plans, and a lot more accountability before the second Test kicks off at Edgbaston.
India’s defeat at Leeds wasn’t just about England’s comeback; it was about India letting things slip, quite literally. Ravi Shastri’s blunt words were a reminder that in Test cricket, attention to detail matters. As Gautam Gambhir takes charge of this next-gen Indian side, fixing the fielding will be a top priority and rightly so. Because when you’re playing against a side like England, you can’t afford to drop your standards, or your catches.
Give Your Feedback