India's tail not wagging: Familiar problem resurfacing under Gambhir era

India Today

4 hours ago

India's poor contributions from the lower order were once again highlighted as they suffered dramatic collapses in both the innings of the first Test against England at Headingley, Leeds. As a result, they had to settle for below-par scores in both innings of the match, which ended up costing them dearly.In the first innings, India were cruising at 430/3 with Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant at the crease. However, they ended up losing the last seven wickets for just 41 runs and were bundled out for 471 runs. In contrast, England's last six batters ended up scoring 112 runs among themselves, which helped them closer to India's first innings score and got all out for 465.advertisementENG vs IND 1st Test Day 5 Highlights
In the second innings, India were again eyeing a lead in excess of 400 as they were 333/4 with KL Rahul and Karun Nair at the crease. However, they ended up losing their last six wickets for 31 runs and got all out for 364. However, it was nothing new for the Asian giants as they've been at the receiving end of several match-changing lower-order partnerships while their own lower order hasn't been contributing at the time of need.Since 2024, Indian batters from seventh position have collectively scored 1269 runs at an average of 17.87, which is the third lowest by a team with only Sri Lanka (16.26) and Zimbabwe (14.39) being below them. India had a good three-year period from November 2021 till March 2024, where their tailenders made crucial contributions and bailed them out of trouble time and again.advertisementUnder the tenure of head coach Rahul Dravid and batting coach Vikram Rathour, they ranked on the fifth spot averaging 21.32 per dismissal. However, their numbers have taken a massive hit under the regime of Gautam Gambhir and ex batting coach Ryan ten Doeschate, which is evident by their current numbers.Following India's debacle in Australia, the BCCI sacked the support staff including assistant coach Abhishek Nayar and Ten Doeschate, who has been replaced by Sitanshu Kotak. The new batting coach has a massive job at hand to improve India's tail numbers as they move ahead in the England series.The retirement of Ravichandran Ashwin has further added to team's woes as the veteran all rounder was instrumental in making crucial contributions lower down the order. With England having pinch hitters all through their batting line up, capable of swinging their bat and frustrating opposition bowlers, the Indian tail must also find a method to add valuable runs to the team's total or they run the risk of being outscored by their opponents throughout the series.- EndsMust Watch