India faced a tough loss, going down by five wickets in the first Test against England. England chased a target of 371 runs in 82 overs on Tuesday (June 24), taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Jasprit Bumrah, the world’s top Test bowler, took five wickets in the first innings for 83 runs over 24.4 overs but couldn’t take any wickets in the second innings, even though he bowled 19 overs. Despite this, he was India’s standout bowler in the match.
There are reports that Bumrah will only play three Tests in this series, participating in the first, third, and fifth matches as a way to manage his workload. After the game, India’s captain Shubman Gill was asked about Bumrah’s availability for the second Test, scheduled from July 2 to 6 at Edgbaston, and he said no decision has been made yet. It’s definitely game by game; there’s a good break after this Test match, so we’ll reassess as we get closer, Gill explained.
The gap between the first and second Tests is eight days. Gill mentioned that India had opportunities in the Leeds Test but dropped catches and received little support from the lower-order batters, which hurt their chances. “It was a great Test match. We had our moments; we dropped some catches, and our lower order didn’t step up as much as we needed, he said. I’m proud of the team, though; it was a solid effort overall.”
When discussing India’s batting issues, Gill noted, “We talked about it, but out there, things can change fast. It’s something we have to fix moving forward. About the dropped catches, he added, “Chances are hard to come by, especially on pitches like these. We missed quite a few, but we have a young team still learning, and I believe we’ll get better in the upcoming matches.