Former Indian cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh have reacted to India's loss at Headingley in the first Test against England. England won the Test match by five wickets chasing 350 in their second innings.
India posted 471 and 364 runs in the two innings in which they batted. However, one of the big reasons behind India's loss was that they were unable to capitalise on the good start.
The middle-order failed to contribute twice in two innings that forced India to finish well short of where they could have eventually ended up.
Yuvraj Sees Promise, Harbhajan Smells Danger For India
After the Indian middle-order under-batted themselves, the Indian bowlers failed to back up Jasprit Bumrah. The likes of Shardul Thakur, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna gave away 482 runs in 92 overs cumulatively.
The Indian fielders and especially Yashasvi Jaiswal, failed to take their catches across the two innings, adding to the misery. Jaiswal alone dropped four catches including one from Ben Duckett when the southpaw was batting on 97 in the second innings. He went on to score 149, thereby nipping the game in the bud.
Despite India's loss Yuvraj Singh in his tweet, pointed out the positives from the game. He backed India's fighting spirit and backed them to make a comeback in the series.
"Test cricket at its finest - intense, challenging and unforgiving. Five days of a high-quality game and a result that could’ve gone either way! Our young team showed fight and belief, the kind that wins you games in the long run. Fell short, but far from done! The series is still alive," he posted on X.
Harbhajan Singh was far more skeptical and harsh on India's loss. He wants the management to buckle up and make a few changes in the second Test. He backed Kuldeep Yadav to play the second Test in Birmingham.
"The pressure is now on India because when you trail 0-1, you need to learn and move ahead. I feel Kuldeep Yadav should get a game in the next game. If he comes into the XI, India will have more wicket-taking options. Now who does he replace? Shardul Thakur? I had said that he needs to bowl more but he was brought into the attack when England needed some 100-120 runs. He deserves a proper opportunity. If you consider him a batter who can bowl a bit, that's incorrect. He's a bowler who can bat a bit," said Harbhajan on his YouTube channel.
Also Read: India batters terrific Leeds showing earns them big jump in latest ICC Rankings
India Have Plenty To Ponder Ahead Of 2nd Test
Team India have dropped to the fourth position on the WTC 2025 points table after the loss. The second Test begins from July 2 at Birmingham and India have a week's break to rethink and focus on how they want to go ahead in the series.
Also Read: IND vs ENG: "Think Twice" - Ravi Shastri Fires Massive Warning To Gautam Gambhir Ahead Of 2nd Test
