India’s hopes of a dramatic turnaround on Day 5 of the Headingley Test were dashed long before the final runs were scored, but one passage—two balls from Shardul Thakur—captured the deeper issues plaguing the visitors. With England needing just 30 and the second new ball only two deliveries away, captain Shubman Gill threw the ball to Thakur with a 7-2 off-side field, hoping to shut down scoring avenues and reach Jasprit Bumrah with the fresh Dukes. But Thakur missed the mark. Joe Root nudged the first ball for a single, and Jamie Smith sliced the next through the gap for four. It was a near-meaningless phase in a match already lost, but it revealed everything India lacked—control, discipline, and pressure from their support bowlers.

India’s problems weren’t just in the field or with the bat; they were structural. Despite moments of brilliance—including Bumrah’s first-innings five-for and an upper-order batting display that pushed them past 470 — India failed to back it up with pressure. The Headingley slope, fast outfield, and scoring angles are well-known challenges, but their change bowlers—Thakur and Prasidh Krishna—lacked the consistency to restrict England’s batting. Prasidh went at 6.28 per over, and Thakur wasn’t far behind at 5.56. Even though Krishna matched Bumrah’s wicket tally, his short lengths and lack of control gave England’s top order room to dominate.

It’s a recurring issue. In India’s last Test in England at Edgbaston (2022), they were defending 378 with Thakur and Siraj as the support act. England chased it down easily, and the two change bowlers leaked at 6.26 per over combined. Contrast that to the 2021 Oval Test, where India’s discipline suffocated England early—Thakur bowled at just 2.75 per over, and Ravindra Jadeja tied up one end until Bumrah could strike with reverse swing. That kind of control was nowhere to be seen in Leeds, and that’s what India—and Gill—need to rediscover quickly.

The Missing Control Behind Bumrah’s Brilliance

Shubman Gill’s leadership will face its steepest learning curve in how to manage phases when Bumrah and Siraj are off the field. England picked those very moments to attack in Leeds, and the change bowlers offered no resistance. It’s in these stretches that India must rediscover the “boring cricket” that wins Tests: holding one end with dry lines, repeating good-length balls, and maintaining fields that force mistakes rather than chase breakthroughs. Gill was often reactive with his field settings, shifting after boundaries rather than anticipating plans—a pattern that stronger opponents will exploit.

See Also: ENG vs IND: Three key reasons why India lost first Test match at Leeds, Headingley

Gautam Gambhir, now part of India’s leadership group, acknowledged the need for patience and experience. “These are still early days,” he said after the loss. “When you go to Australia, England, or South Africa, experience matters a lot. If you start judging your bowlers after every Test match, then how will the bowlers develop? How will the bowling attack develop? When you talk about data or stats, it is also important to know about experience. If you look at 3-4 other bowlers, they don’t have that much experience. But they have got quality. That’s why they are in this dressing room. And we are going to keep backing them. Because it’s not about one or two. It’s about building a fast bowling battery that can serve India for a long time. I think we just have to be more consistent.”

India has now lost seven of their last nine Tests—a stark statistic, even with Bumrah in the XI. The margin for error is shrinking, and the signs of potential are being overshadowed by mounting losses. For Gill and this developing attack, the time to absorb those lessons—and turn them into execution—is now.