Not much between India and England after first Test

SO, INDIA LOST the Headingley Test, a result that seemed highly improbable at various stages of the game.

- Tushar Bhaduri

It's not every day that two ends up being greater than five, as the two hundreds scored by England batsmen ended up being more decisive than the five managed by the Indians. But what it does confirm is that it's a team game where the contribution of every individual in the eleven matters.

Apart from the five hundreds, the highest score by an Indian across the two innings was 42 by KL Rahul in the first essay.

In contrast, apart from the hundred by Ollie Pope and the match-winning century by Ben Duckett on the final day, there were four half-centuries from England's side, including a 99 by Harry Brook in the first dig. Add to that, Jamie Smith's composed unbeaten knock of 44 on the fifth afternoon and one has the recipe for a team effort overcoming stellar efforts from a handful of players.

A lot has been said about India's over-reliance on Jasprit Bumrah in the bid to take 20 wickets in a match. But the first Test showed that the team often had nowhere else to go to even keep the opposition batsmen in check. Rookie skipper Shubman Gill seemed lost for ideas, especially on the fifth day, and had to bring on his trump card far more regularly than he would have liked, and the England batsmen had the option of seeing him off and making hay against the others while putting miles into Bumrah's system, that could prove decisive as the five-match series moves on.

It hasn't been long since the Indian pace battery was considered to be the envy of the cricketing world with Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj forming a potent trio with an assembly line of youngsters providing hope for the future. But the fitness issues plaguing Bumrah and Shami, allied with Siraj's inconsistency, have pricked the balloon.