The second Test at Lord’s ended in heartbreak for Team India as they failed to chase a modest target of 193 on the fifth day. Skipper Shubman Gill, speaking after the match on Monday, July 14, pinpointed the lack of a steady top-order partnership as the main reason behind the defeat.
Gill Highlights Need for 50-Run Stand at the Top
In every response during the post-match presentation, Gill emphasized the importance of building partnerships at the top of the order. He expressed disappointment that the team could not stitch together even a single 50-60 run stand that might have turned the tide in their favor.
“I was pretty confident with plenty of batting left, but the way England kept attacking, we wanted to have maybe a couple of 50-run partnerships in our top-order. We weren’t able to do that, and they played better than us,” said the 25-year-old captain.
“The target wasn’t massive. One 50-60 run partnership and we knew we would be back in,” he added, underlining how crucial a single solid stand could have been in a low-scoring chase.
First Innings Advantage Lost, Admits Gill
Gill also took time to reflect on India’s first innings performance, where the team missed an opportunity to grab a significant lead.
“At one point, we thought if we got a lead of 80-100, that might be crucial for us. We knew the fifth day on this wicket might not be that easy to chase 150-200, so we were thinking if we could get a lead of 80 runs, we would be in a good position,” he said, highlighting how the game slowly slipped away.
The captain didn’t shy away from admitting that poor decision-making in the final hour of Day 4 hurt their chances. He mentioned the dismissals of himself and Akash Deep as moments that put added pressure on the team heading into the fifth day.
“We could have applied ourselves a bit better, especially the last two wickets that fell [on Day 4]. And even this morning, the way they came out with the plans—we were hoping for one 50-run partnership in the top order. If we had got that, things would have been easier for us,” Gill noted.
Despite the loss, Gill praised the lower-order fightback on Day 5. Ravindra Jadeja, along with Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj, added 88 runs across the final three partnerships and batted for over 50 overs to stretch the game into the final session.
“Five days of hard-fought cricket and it comes down to the last session, last wicket—tremendously proud of the effort,” Gill said in closing, expressing hope that the close finish will set the tone for an exciting remainder of the Test series.
