"Cannot Win A Game With One Bowler": Ex-India Star's Unfiltered Take After Loss To England
India suffered a five-wicket defeat at the hands of England in the first Test match in Leeds.
Former India cricketer and 1983 World Cup winner Madan Lal shared his thoughts on India's five-wicket defeat to England in the first Test at Headingley and said while the contest was entertaining, the Indian team missed crucial chances in the field. "Test match at its best, I really enjoyed watching this Test match," Lal told ANI. "We played very good cricket apart from the fielding lapses. That's where we lost the game. You see five hundreds, English players getting two hundreds, and the match going to the last day, that's what matters in Test cricket," he said.
Despite India's strong batting display, which featured five individual centuries, their inability to hold on to catches and maintain bowling pressure proved costly in the final innings, where England successfully chased 371.
Lal was particularly critical of India's bowling strategy and felt that the team lacked depth in their attack beyond Jasprit Bumrah.
"I think our bowlers should have bowled better," he said.
"You cannot win a game with one bowler, you need three to four bowlers contributing. In my view, Shardul Thakur should have taken the new ball. He could have added something different up front," he added.
When asked about the role of new head coach Gautam Gambhir, Madan Lal said judgements should not be passed early
"You cannot judge someone based on just one Test match; it is wrong. Criticism is a part of the game, but it should be constructive and fair," he added.
Coming to the match, the final day saw England produce a successful run chase. Led by Ben Duckett's impressive 149 and key contributions from Zak Crawley, Joe Root and Jamie Smith, the hosts reached the target in just 82 overs, finishing at 373/5 to clinch a five-wicket win and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match Test series.
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India Cricket Team
England Cricket Team