IND v ENG 2021, 1st Test: 3 reasons why India lost the match

With several star players returning to the India XI, one could have expected a dominant show against England in home conditions. What resulted though, was India losing by an embarrassing 227 runs - still less than what it seemed to be at one stage of the match.

The loss against England puts India in very tricky territory regarding the World Test Championship - they cannot lose a single game from here on, and must win at least two. Given the potency of the opposition's spinners and the fight from their middle order, something India did not encounter much against Australia, it looks to be an uphill task for the hosts. Can a beleaguered captain put a string of losses behind him to turn the tables on England?

Breathtaking displays of bowling or batting from England aside, here are three reasons why India lost to England in the first Test match.

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#3 Lack of bowling depth

Shahbaz Nadeem got four wickets but struggled for control.

Part of the reason behind India's overwhelmingly successful 2016-17 home season was the relentless control and accuracy of Ravindra Jadeja, conceding less than 2 runs an over and often creating wickets by sheer pressure. Even in Australia, his control reaped rewards and won India a game in Melbourne.

His like-for-like replacement in this game, Shahbaz Nadeem, struggled to control the scoring rate, or put the ball in the right areas enough to get wickets. It hardly helped that Kohli chose to bowl one-match-old Washington Sundar in tandem with the left-arm orthodox bowler, allowing England to score quickly. The duo's inexperience meant that England were often left off the hook after a menacing spell by the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and R Ashwin, allowing them to pile on the runs.

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#2 Poor shot selection

Rohit was dismissed cheaply in both innings of the match.

After batting for over 190 overs, the English bowlers would have dragged themselves out to the middle, expecting more of the same from the Indian top order. That was not to be the case as Jofra Archer snaffled two early wickets. Rohit Sharma wafted at one outside off stump to be caught behind, while Shubman Gill played one uppishly inside the circle after a brisk start. Ajinkya Rahane, too, was deceived in flight as he looked to attack without having played himself in.

It hardly helped India that four of the top five - Rohit, Gill, Virat Kohli and Rahane - contributed 47 runs in total, as India lost four wickets within 27 overs to put England firmly in control. Though Rishabh Pant, Cheteshwar Pujara and Sundar tried their best to avoid the blushes, India conceded a healthy first innings lead which put them out of the contest.

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#1 India losing the toss

Virat Kohli losing the toss played a decisive role in the game's outcome.

Given the specific way in which the ball and pitch deteriorated, the side batting first got a massive advantage. While a few factors did contribute apart from the toss - missed chances in the field, lack of bowling pressure, the excellence of Joe Root and Dom Sibley - India's bowlers had to deal with a fast-wearing SG ball on a pitch that initially showed no signs of life, only to develop rough patches and cracks when it was India's turn to bat.

This observation is justified by the way the rest of the game proceeded - the second innings of both teams were evenly matched when the behaviour of the pitch changed to favour spin. If India wins the toss next game at the same venue, the balance could truly reverse.