Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has thrown a massive warning to current India head coach Gautam Gambhir after India's loss to England in the first Test at Headingley.
India lost the Test match despite scoring over 800 runs with the bat. England in their second innings chased down 371 runs to win the first Test.
India's loss in the first Test was heavily critcised by former Indian cricketers who spoke about the reasons why India lost the first Test. From bad bowling to fielding and catching lapses, everything contributed to India's loss at Headingley.
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Ravi Shastri On Jasprit Bumrah Playing 3 Tests
Meanwhile, former India head coach Ravi Shastri has asked the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir to "think twice" before resting Jasprit Bumrah in the upcoming Test matches. The Indian bowling attack apart from Bumrah, looked very pale throughout the first Test.
Previously, there were talks about Bumrah only playing three Test matches in the England series. Skipper Shubman Gill after the loss said that Bumrah's participation will be thought of before the second Test starts.
"If he was looking at a rest, you may have to think twice. If you don't have him and then go 2-0 down it could be an uphill task,"."This will be a tough pill for India to swallow. You don't get in positions like this very often and blow it from there. They had a chance to take England out of the contest and dictate terms," Shastri said on Sky Sports.
Bumrah took 5 wickets for 140 runs in the first Test. He picked up a fifer in the first innings and went wicketless in the second. The rest of the Indian bowlers cumulatively picked up nine wickets giving away 482 runs in 92 overs.
Shastri further spoke about Shubman Gill's captaincy and lamented the dropped chances from the Indian fielders on the field.
"They have to learn and they need more bottle from the tail, for them to be stubborn and put a price tag on their wicket. There is a big role for the coaching staff to take the positives. As a captain, Gill has done more than can be asked of him. He got a hundred in his first Test in charge and the dropped catches (and collapses) are not in his control," he added.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain also had his say on India's loss in the first Test at Headingley. He felt that Gill did not have the aura of someone like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli on the field.
"I saw someone finding his way. He didn't quite have that on-field aura of Rohit and (Virat Kohli). I thought he followed the ball a lot and was reactive rather than proactive. When Rohit and Kohli captained, you looked down and you immediately knew who was in charge but when I looked down in this game I saw two or three captains, captaincy by committee," Hussain observed.
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India Fourth In WTC 2025-27 Points Table
India are currently placed fourth in the WTC 2025-27 points table after the loss at Headingley. The table is led by England followed by Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Australia, West Indies will kick off their WTC cycle in the first Test in Barbados. South Africa, New Zealand and Pakistan are yet to kick off their campaign.
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