After dominating much of the first Test against England, Team India suffered a surprising 5-wicket defeat at Leeds despite an impressive batting performance that included five centuries. Former Indian captain and commentator Sunil Gavaskar expressed deep disappointment over the loss and warned that if the team does not learn from its mistakes within the next eight days, a similar outcome could follow in the second Test. During his analysis, Gavaskar pointed out several critical shortcomings in India’s performance.
Speaking on Sony Sports after the match, Gavaskar was candid about the team’s shortcomings. He said, “The team led by Shubman Gill was not ‘Test class.’” While giving full credit to England for their confident chase despite India’s strong batting, he highlighted that India missed key moments that could have changed the course of the game. According to him, if the Indian side had managed to add a few more runs and held on better in the field, the result might have been different.
Gavaskar criticized not just the dropped catches but the overall poor fielding standards, calling it “ordinary.” He made it clear that the team’s performance was below the standard expected from a Test-class side. The legendary batsman urged the team to take this defeat as a lesson and improve quickly.
Focusing on the bowling effort, Gavaskar acknowledged that the Leeds pitch was very batting-friendly, making it hard to fault the bowlers completely. He praised Jasprit Bumrah for his excellent spell but added that the lack of support from other bowlers was a factor in the loss. “If he had good support from the other end, the match result could have been different,” he said. Now, with eight days left before the second Test in Birmingham starting July 2, Gavaskar stressed that the team must work hard to correct their errors.
He also advised the players, especially Shubman Gill and his teammates, not to be disheartened by the defeat. Instead, they should focus entirely on the upcoming match, learning from the mistakes made at Leeds. Special emphasis was laid on the need for the lower-order batsmen to step up and contribute significantly, as their poor performance in both innings was a major concern.
In summary, Sunil Gavaskar’s message is clear: Team India must urgently address their weaknesses in the next eight days to avoid another painful loss at Edgbaston.
