A TAME START TO INDIA'S ENGLISH SUMMER

DEFEAT RAISES TOUGH QUESTIONS

- Siddhaarth Mahan

The much-anticipated Test series between India and England began at Headingley, Leeds on a topsy turvy note.

For a while, it seemed that the Gautam Gambhir-Shubman Gill combo had found the perfect launchpad for a successful English summer. But by the end of the fifth day, that optimism lay scattered across the Yorkshire outfield. England chased down a daunting 371-run target to win the match by 5 wickets, registering the highest successful fourth-innings chase at the venue.

This wasn't just a defeat for India. It was a wake-up call. The match had everything from centuries to collapses to dropped catches, and Bazball in full flight. Though it ended on a dismal note for Team India, initially the post-RoKo era seemed to be getting off to a fine start for new skipper Shubman Gill and his new-look squad.

On Day 1, India found themselves in a commanding position at 359/3. Five Indian batters notched up hundreds over the course of both innings. That in itself should have meant a strong grip on the game. But strangely, despite the batting brilliance, India faltered. This was the first time in Test history that a team scoring five centuries ended up losing the match.

SO, WHAT EXACTLY WENT WRONG?