In the first Test match at Headingley in Leeds on Tuesday, June 24, Team India lost by five wickets against England, but head coach Gautam Gambhir refused to place the blame on anyone. The former opener called the loss a team failure, acknowledging that India struggled in several areas.
India succumbed to England, giving up a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, even though they dominated the Leeds Test for the better part of four days. In the final play of Day 5, the hosts reached home with a target of 371 points. Joe Root and Zak Crawley also reached half-centuries, but opener Ben Duckett spearheaded the attack with 149.
Gambhir expressed his disappointment that India was unable to score more than 600 runs in the first innings during the news conference held after the game. Additionally, he minimized the fact that the visitors missed several catches during the Test at pivotal moments.
“Best fielders in the world have dropped catches. Batting, yes, disappointing. We could have dominated had we scored over 600 in the first innings,” Gambhir opined (as quoted by Times of India)
#BenDuckett’s brilliant 149 set the tone for England’s highest successful chase at Leeds and their second-highest in Test history.
👉 Relive the innings that turned the tide in the 1st Test : https://t.co/MhwlN52U7s#ENGvIND 👉🏻 2nd TEST | WED, 2nd JULY, 2.30 PM on JioHotstar pic.twitter.com/1uRcpT5vRE
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 24, 2025
India’s bowling in both innings also left much to be desired. Although England scored 465, Jasprit Bumrah claimed a five-fer in the opening essay. Ben Stokes and his team clinically chased 371 in the second innings. The head coach threw his support for the bowling section by saying:
“We can’t question our bowlers after every Test. How will we groom them? We need to keep backing our players. We need to build a fast bowling battery.
Gautam Gambhir
“We just didn’t lose the Test because of our tail. We lose together, win together.”
Gautam Gambhir
From #BenDuckett’s classy knock to #ShardulThakur’s game changing over the 1st Test had it all! 💯
Both sides had their moments, but England walked away with the win. 🙌
Will India strike back in the 2nd Test or will England run away with the series? 🤔#ENGvIND 👉🏻 2nd TEST |… pic.twitter.com/0UZMusr9Lr
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 24, 2025In the Leeds Test match against England, India saw two startling batting collapses. Six wickets were lost for 31 runs in the second innings, and seven wickets were lost for 41 runs in the first.
“We have to give him time” – Gautam Gambhir on Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill played his first Test as captain in the match against Leeds. He scored a fantastic hundred in the first innings and had a significant effect with the willow. However, as England easily won on Day 5, his lack of leadership experience became evident. Gambhir evaluated Gill’s overall performance in his first Test match as captain, saying:
“First Test, there are always nerves. He was phenomenal… getting a hundred with the bat. We have to give him time.”
Team India needs to go back up swiftly after losing the Leeds Test from a strong position. On July 2, the second Test of the five-match series gets underway in Edgbaston in Birmingham.
