Shubman Gill’s India crash in Leeds. New team, same problems? Sledging Room | S3 Ep 02

It was truly a baptism by fire for Shubman Gill in his Test captaincy debut. India lost a match they could have—and perhaps should have—won, despite racking up over 800 runs across two innings, fuelled by four centurions and a five-wicket haul from their pace spearhead. Yet, as a new era of Indian Test cricket began, they were once again undone by familiar frailties that have plagued them in the past. England, it must be said, made light work of a daunting 371-run target on the final day.

Over the course of a fiercely contested five days at Headingley, captain Gill witnessed nearly every shade of Test cricket: India’s top order fired, he silenced his doubters with a maiden century in the much-debated SENA conditions, his vice-captain struck a hundred in each innings of the Test, but his bowling unit failed to function as a collective, his fielders turned in one of their poorest performances in recent memory, and his lower middle-order folded quicker than some of those ferrying drinks onto the field.

Who takes the blame for India's defeat in Leeds? There's no Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli to pin the blame on.

Coach Gautam Gambhir backed his team, but did stir some controversies in his press conference post the game. With just 1 win in the last nine Tests, Gambhir is under pressure.

Does he deserve more leeway? Did India get the team wrong in Leeds?

In the latest episode of the Sledging Room podcast, Akshay Ramesh, Alan John and Kingshuk Kusari discuss India's missed opportunity in the Leeds Test.

Produced by Garvit Srivastava

Sound mixed by Rohan Bharti