India's crushing five-wicket loss in the first Test against England in Leeds has drawn extreme criticism from all quarters. For the majority parts of the first Test, the visitors were in control in the majority of the game, only to botch up on the last day of the Test, where the hosts chased 371 on a tricky Day 5 Leeds Test. Like many of the experts, former cricketer Murli Karthik said that too many leaders are spoiling the harmony of the team.
While Shubman Gill was the designated captain, he got a lot of suggestions from Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, and Rishabh Pant. Karthik stated there was a visible power imbalance within his own team.
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Speaking to Cricbuzz, Kartik said, “There were moments when Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul were setting the field while Shubman Gill was right there. It looked like three people were captaining at once.”
India let slip a strong opportunity
It is to be noted that India scored 835 runs across two innings, which included five centuries. The visitors also got a slender six-run lead. However, India failed to go for the kill and lost their last six wickets for just 31 runs.
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Kartik expressed dismay at the scenario, saying: “We can look for excuses but the problem is that we scored 835 runs, one bowler picked up five wickets, and despite that, we lost. I felt as if there were too many captains. KL Rahul was suggesting things, Rishabh Pant was suggesting things, and Gill, the actual captain, was doing it too. I could not understand these signals being made. There is one captain.”
The second Test will be played on July 02 at Edgbaston, where England boasts of a good record.
