'We lose together, win together': Gambhir Gambhir backs bowlers as England pull off record chase at Headingley
India head coach Gautam Gambhir (Pic credit: Sahil Malhotra/TimesofIndia.com)
TimeofIndia.com in Leeds:
England scripted a remarkable five-wicket win over India in the first Test at Headingley on Tuesday, chasing down 371 in record-breaking fashion to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series.
The hosts became the first team in over 60,000 first-class matches to concede five individual hundreds and still emerge victorious.
Score:
India vs England, 1st Test
It was a day of milestones and heartbreaks. India posted a mammoth 835 runs across their two innings, with Rishabh Pant smashing centuries in both - only the second wicketkeeper in Test history to do so. Yet, collapses of 7 for 41 in the first innings and 6 for 31 in the second proved fatal, allowing England to stay in the hunt.
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Ben Duckett's blistering 149 set the tone, while Joe Root (53*) and debutant Jamie Smith (44*) polished off the chase with a calm, unbeaten 71-run stand. Smith fittingly sealed the win with a six, as England romped home at 373/5 in just 82 overs.
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India's head coach
Gautam Gambhir
, however, chose to focus on the positives and refused to single out the bowling unit for blame.
"We can't question our bowlers after every Test.
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How will we groom them? We need to keep backing our players. We need to build a fast bowling battery," Gambhir said at the post-match press conference.
He also pointed to India's failure with the bat as the key reason for the loss. "Best fielders in the world have dropped catches. Batting, yes, disappointing. We could have dominated had we scored over 600 in the first innings," he admitted.
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Despite Shardul Thakur's late burst, which briefly brought India back into the game, Gambhir insisted the match was lost collectively: "We just didn't lose the Test because of our tail.
We lose together, win together."
On
Shubman Gill
's leadership in his maiden Test as captain, Gambhir was emphatic in his support: "First Test, there are always nerves. He was phenomenal… getting a hundred with the bat. We have to give him time."
With the second Test beginning July 2 in Birmingham, India have little time to reflect - but Gambhir's message was clear: there will be no panic, only perseverance.
For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the
India vs England Test match here
.
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