Gambhir Backs India’s Tail-End to Bounce Back After Headingley Collapse

India head coach Gautam Gambhir has come out in support of the team’s tail-end batters following their underwhelming performance in the first Test against England at Headingley. Despite holding dominant positions in both innings, India suffered a five-wicket defeat as England mounted a record-breaking fourth-innings chase of 371, powered by Ben Duckett’s 149 and unbeaten contributions from Joe Root and Jamie Smith.

India’s downfall, according to Gambhir, cannot be pinned on a single department. However, the stark contrast between the top and bottom halves of the batting order has drawn scrutiny. While India’s top five piled on 721 runs across both innings, the lower order—positions six to eleven—could only manage 65 runs, crumbling under pressure in both outings.

In the first innings, India raced to 430/3 before a late-order collapse restricted them to 471. The second innings saw a near-identical pattern, with the final six wickets falling for just 31 runs, leaving England a target that ultimately proved chaseable.

Addressing the media after the loss, Gambhir expressed disappointment but refrained from singling out the tail-enders for blame. “It’s not that they’re not working hard in the nets. Sometimes even specialist batters fail. Hopefully they’re going to learn, and we can see better performances from the tail going forward,” he said.

The former opener stressed that India’s loss wasn’t solely due to the lower order’s struggles. “That is not the only reason why we lost the Test match, to be honest. There were other moments as well where we could have won,” he added, referencing key fielding lapses, including dropped catches at crucial junctures.

Gambhir emphasized a collective approach to winning and losing. “Everyone wants to contribute—bat, ball, or in the field. I’m not going to sit here and say we lost because 8, 9, 10, 11 didn’t score. We win together, we lose together. It’s the first Test match, there are nerves.”

Despite the result, Gambhir remained optimistic about the series and the squad’s ability to regroup. “There were multiple phases across all five days where we were in control. We just didn’t capitalise,” he acknowledged.

With the series now 1-0 in England’s favor and Shubman Gill’s Test captaincy debut ending in a narrow loss, India will aim to regroup and address its tail-end vulnerabilities ahead of the second Test in Birmingham next week.