CHENNAI: It has become a recurring theme at least in the last 10 years. From a position of strength, India have unfortunately ceded ground back to the opponents and have gone on to lose multiple matches in the longest format of the game. Day Two of the first Test in Leeds, Headingley was no different as Shubman Gill and Co, who at one stage were cruising at 430/3, were bowled out for 471. England skipper Ben Stokes and fellow pacer Josh Tongue claimed 4/66 and 4/86 respectively to bring the hosts back in the contest before rain delayed the start of the second innings.
Resuming at 359/3, Gill and Rishabh Pant started the proceedings scoring at over four runs per over in the first 15 overs of the day. The latter was at his aggressive best as he hit 12 fours and six sixes to register his seventh Test century, now the most for any Indian wicketkeeper-batter in Tests. The left-hand batter launched Shoaib Bashir for a six over cow corner to complete the milestone. It was a typical Pant shot as he jumped down the track with one hand coming off but it didn't matter in the end as the ball went over the boundary line. The batter then did a somersault to celebrate his century.
However, 16 balls later, Gill departed, trying to smash the offie after jumping down the track. The Indian skipper could not reach the pitch of the ball and went across the line offering a comfortable catch to Tongue at deep backward square leg. The hosts then missed a golden chance to send Pant back when wicketkeeper Jamie Smith failed to collect the ball even as the Indian batter was well out of the crease. He had charged down the track only to miss the ball completely but a fumble from Smith meant he managed to survive.
England, however, didn't have to wait for a long as Karun Nair, making his Test comeback after almost eight years, went for an expansive cover drive but it was pouched by Ollie Pope. Nair went for a nought as India lost two quick wickets to hand over advantage to their opponents. As has been the case in the last few overs, by then the slide has began. In no time, Pant and Shardul Thakur too lost their wickets as India went into the lunch at 454/7. Post lunch, the English bowlers completed formalities as they bowled out the visitors for 471.
The collapse might have reminded Indian fans of unpleasant past memories when their team squandered an advantage to end up on the wrong side of the fence. Not long ago, the Indian team had lost wickets in heaps to lose the match at their home turf. From 408/3, they went on to lose seven wickets for just 54 runs in the first Test against New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru last year. The big collapse meant the Rohit Sharma-led team conceded the match, first at home to Kiwis since 1988, by eight wickets.
The same was the story against South Africa in Newlands, Cape Town last year when Lungi Ngidi's over turned the game on its head as he pocketed three wickets in the same over. India collapsed from 153/4 to all out losing six wickets in 11 deliveries without scoring a single run. Thanks to their bowlers, who bundled out Proteas to 55 in the first innings, India went on to win the match by seven wickets.
The list goes on, be it their contest against South Africa at the SuperSport Park Stadium, Centurion in 2023 or their match against Australia at Holkar Stadium in Indore in the same year. In Leeds, the venue of the ongoing match, India were bowled out for 78 from 56/3 four years ago. The dramatic collapse meant the hosts went on to win the game by an innings.
Only time will tell how bad the recent collapse will hurt Team India as England were comfortably placed at 209/3 at stumps with Ollie Pope unbeaten on 100. Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of the bowlers for India claiming all three wickets.
