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"Dropped Catches And...": Captain Shubman Gill Marks Pain Points After Losing First Test

Soumyajit Dutta

Shubman Gill reflects on loss [Source: @Gillpaglu678/X.com]Shubman Gill reflects on loss [Source: @Gillpaglu678/X.com]

Shubman Gill's debut as India's Test captain delivered a personal triumph but a team setback. The 24-year-old marked his leadership arrival with a commanding 147, anchoring India's first innings. However, his reign began with a narrow defeat at Headingley, as England chased down a challenging target of 371 with five wickets to spare. 

A dominant 149 from Ben Duckett and crucial contributions, notably from Joe Root, powered England home in a thrilling finale. While Gill's batting brilliance and tactical moments, showcased promise, the match exposed vulnerabilities. 

Shubman Gill Talks Pain Points After First Loss

India's lower-order faltered, adding only 20-25 crucial runs after Gill's dismissal, and several dropped catches proved costly against England's aggressive batting lineup. Reflecting on the fine margins, Gill acknowledged post-match. 

"A brilliant Test match. We had chances in the match, a few dropped catches and the lower order didn't contribute as it would have been," Gill said.

Gill elaborated on the declaration plans falling short. "Yesterday we were thinking to give them around 400-430 to chase and declare but our lower order added around 20-25 runs which is never a good sign."

Shubman Gill Points At Fielding Lapses

Addressing the fielding lapses with perspective, Shubman Gill noted that they are a young team and are still learning.

"Chances don't come easy on wickets like these and we dropped quite a few catches but we have got a young team which is still learning. Hopefully in the next matches we'd be able to improve on those aspects," Gill said.

Analysing England's successful chase, particularly after the new ball lost its shine, Gill explained

"The first session we bowled, we were quite spot on but it's quite hard to stop the runs once the ball gets old and you have to keep picking wickets to stay in the game. Unfortunately some catches didn't find the fielders, didn't go our way but I think they batted really well," Gill said.

Gill Speaks Bumrah's Future In The Series

Regarding Jasprit Bumrah's workload management going forward, Gill remained pragmatic, "It's definitely more game by game. There's a good break after this Test match so once we are close to the match, we'll see."

Despite the loss placing him alongside Vengsarkar and Kohli as century-scoring debut captains who suffered defeat, Gill's composed leadership and batting mastery offer a strong foundation. The focus now shifts to tightening fielding, bolstering the lower order, and seizing key moments as India looks to bounce back in this intriguing five-match series.