Six Catches Dropped
Indian fielders have dropped six catches in this Test match so far. This is the first time since 2019 that the team has dropped five or more catches in the first innings of a Test match. The worst fielding performance was by young player Yashasvi Jaiswal, who dropped three catches in the slips alone. All three chances came off Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling.
Dropped Catches Lead to Big Innings
All three batsmen whose catches Jaiswal dropped went on to score big innings. The first chance came on the second day, when Jaiswal dropped Ben Duckett’s catch when he was on 15; Duckett went on to score 62. Next, he dropped Ollie Pope’s catch when he was on 60; Pope scored 106. On the third day, Harry Brook’s catch was dropped when he was on 83, and he eventually reached 99 before being dismissed. These three batsmen collectively added 109 extra runs, bringing England closer to India’s score and limiting India’s lead to just 6 runs.
Questions Raised Over Shubman Gill’s Captaincy
Furthermore, the strategy of Shubman Gill, captaining a Test match for the first time, has also been questioned. There were shortcomings in the selection and utilisation of bowlers. In particular, flaws were evident in the field placements. Yashasvi was repeatedly making mistakes in the slips, but Gill did not remove him from that position. Sai Sudharsan is a better slip fielder, and Gill could have replaced Yashasvi with him. Yashasvi had mostly fielded in the gully during the Australia tour. Deploying him at slip was a significant error of judgment by the captain.
Late Introduction of Bumrah Also Proves Costly
Additionally, when England had lost 8 wickets, Gill delayed bringing Bumrah into the attack. Finally, when Bumrah did bowl, he immediately dismissed Chris Woakes and Jos Tongue, effectively ending the English innings. However, by then, England had almost erased India’s lead. Gill also gave Shardul Thakur only 6 overs, while his form suggested he deserved more opportunities. Furthermore, Shardul is a better bowler with the new ball, but he was brought on to bowl in the 40th over.
