India’s first Test of the new World Test Championship cycle ended in heartbreak. On a tough Day 5 at Headingley, England completed a 371-run chase with ease, handing India a heavy defeat despite Jasprit Bumrah’s outstanding performance in the match.
But as the result sank in, many fans were left wondering- would the result have been different if Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma had played?
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India came into the game with a young squad. Kohli and Rohit, two veterans of the format, retired from Test cricket last month. As the new look team tried to fight, England took full advantage of India’s missed chances, both with the bat and ball.
Did India miss Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma? India’s batting collapsed at the wrong time
India got strong starts in both innings while batting, but lost their way in between. Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul put up a great opening stand in the first innings. Gill scored a brilliant hundred in his debut Test as captain. Pant’s runs also helped push India’s score past 470.
But when it mattered most, the middle and the lower orders failed to contribute. India were 430 for 3 at one point, but then everything went wrong. They lost their last seven wickets for only 41 runs.
In the second innings too, after KL Rahul scored a brilliant 137, the team collapsed again. Six wickets fell quickly for just 31 runs after he got out.
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This is where a player like Virat Kohli could have helped. He was good at staying calm and steady under pressure and guiding the innings when the team needed it most.
Did India lack leadership experience on the field?
Jasprit Bumrah gave everything with the ball. His five-wicket haul in the first innings was top class, and his control even on a flat track kept India in the contest.
But he lacked support. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna went for runs, and the spinners couldn’t create pressure either.
Without Rohit’s smart bowling changes, the team looked a bit lost when things didn’t go their way. Gill, leading for the first time, had the energy but perhaps not the experience to respond to England’s counter-attacks.
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Even in the field, India’s dropped catches, including four by Jaiswal, proved costly. Those moments, if taken, could’ve flipped the match.