As an Indian cricket journalist living in England, this Headingley Test hit harder than most. Five centuries in the match — five! — and yet, India finished second-best. It’s a scorecard that looks like a win, but reads like a reminder: unless those runs translate into scoreboard pressure, they don’t count for much.
Let’s call it what it was — a frustrating mix of brilliance and breakdown. Rishabh Pant’s twin tons were vintage Pant: audacious, brave, counter-attacking. Rohit Sharma batted with poise. Even Gill chipped in. But what did India do with all that effort? Put up totals that were just enough to stay in the game, but nowhere near enough to dictate it.
England chased down the target with five wickets in hand, barely flinching. There was no Bazball frenzy; just smart, risk-free batting on a flat Day 5 pitch. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett played with patience early on, then turned the screws. It was clinical. England made it look like a net session.
Now, contrast that with India’s approach. The top order did their job. But the middle and lower-middle order — frankly, it folded too easily. Once again, collapses crept in like bad weather. What should have been scores of 450+ ended up being 330-odd. And when you’re playing in England, against a side this good at home, that’s not going to cut it.
Karun Nair’s comeback? I was rooting for him — honestly. As someone who’s followed his county form for Northants, I thought he deserved the call-up. But two low scores won’t silence the critics. Still, give him one more Test. You don’t write off a proven domestic performer after one outing.
Then there’s Shardul Thakur. Picked for balance, but delivered neither runs nor breakthroughs when it mattered. It might be time to look at Nitish Reddy — younger, hungrier, and more effective with the bat down the order. His seam-up bowling may not yet be Test standard, but there’s something about his temperament I like.
Bowling? Jasprit Bumrah, take a bow — again. Five in the first innings. But the rest? Prasidh Krishna’s short-ball obsession didn’t work on these decks. Mohammed Siraj had the heart but not the precision. Maybe Arshdeep Singh’s left-arm angle could offer some variety. Or even Kuldeep Yadav — England don’t play wrist spin all that well, and Kuldeep is one of those bowlers who can conjure a wicket out of nowhere.
And fielding — don’t get me started. Six drops in the first innings. That alone cost us 70–80 runs. On tours like these, those are the margins.
So, where did India go wrong? In not converting starts into statements. In picking the wrong support cast. And in letting their discipline slip, session by session.
It’s only 1-0 in the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy. But if India don’t learn from this, it won’t be long before it’s game, set, match to England.
