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India's torrid run with head coach Gautam Gambhir at the helm in Test format hit a new low after a record-shattering five-wicket defeat against England in the series opener at Headingley.
Shubman Gill immersed himself in the harsh reality of the red-ball format as his era as India's Test captain began with the bitter taste of defeat. England's 'Bazball' reigned supreme after an enticing opening Test that was settled after five days of grit, resilience, and patience from both sides. In pursuit of a 371-run target, Ben Duckett's fiery 149 and Joe Root's composed 53* steered England past the finish line, sealing their second-highest chase in the format. Even though Gambhir has transformed India into a T20I powerhouse and Champions Trophy winner, he has yet to make a promising impression in the red-ball format. Since kicking off the home series against New Zealand last October, India has lost seven of their last nine Tests. The dreadful run included a whitewash at home by the Kiwis, a 3-1 defeat in Australia and now a five-wicket bashing at the hands of England. During this shambolic run, India dominated Australia in Perth with a resounding 295-run triumph and was saved by the weather gods in Brisbane, which washed away the Test and forced the contest to be settled as a draw. Apart from Gambhir's horror show in Test format, India's vice-captain Rishabh Pant has ventured on a winless streak when he scored an away Test ton for India. In 2018, he struck 118, and India lost the Test against England. A year later, he remained unbeaten on 159 in Australia, which ended in a draw. In 2022, he delivered a rollicking 100* in South Africa, but India succumbed to a defeat. In the same year, he hammered 146 in England, which went in vain, and finally came his recent 134 and 118, which in England have come in a losing cause. In the latest five-wicket defeat, India became the first team to lose a Test match with five individual batters scoring centuries. Yashasvi Jaiswal (101), Shubman Gill (147), KL Rahul (137) and Rishabh Pant (134 and 118) were the century scores for India. Along with this, India aggregated 835 runs in the Headingley Test, which is the fourth-highest for any team to end up on the losing side. (ANI)
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