"Run chases have been completed in a canter" - When a former opener slammed India's inability to defend targets

Team India failed to defend a target of 371 in the first Test against England at Headingley in Leeds recently. As a result, they went 1-0 down in the five-match series. Set to chase a challenging target, England got home by five wickets in 82 overs as opener Ben Duckett slammed 149 off 170 balls. Despite dominating the Test, India went down due to a poor bowling effort on Day 5.

India's loss in Leeds was shocking similar to their defeat against the same opponent in Birmingham in July 2022. On that occasion, England needed to rewrite history and chase down a target of 378. They did so with utmost ease, winning by seven wickets as Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow hammered unbeaten hundreds, featuring in a fourth-wicket stand of 269*.

While discussing India's defeat in Birmingham in July 2022, former India opener Aakash Chopra had slammed the bowlers and questioned how opposition batters were able to chase down tough targets so easily. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said:

"378 should have been enough with the bowling attack we had. As I had said, this bowling attack doesn't come with a 'conditions apply' rider. Whether they play in South Africa, Australia, England, or India, they often do well. But if you see the last three Tests, the two against South Africa and now against England, the run chases have been completed in a canter. Fourth innings runs are never easy but they did it without much fuss."

Chopra added that India were heavily dependent on Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami to deliver the goods, effectively reducing them to a two-match bowling attack. He elaborated:

"One weakness in our bowling attack that has been exposed is that Shami and Bumrah do well but they don't quite get the same support from the other two pacers or the spinner Ravindra Jadeja. So it becomes a two-man attack."

In the 2022 Birmingham Test, Bumrah picked up five wickets and Siraj four. Further, Shami claimed two wickets and Shardul Thakur one, while left-arm spinner Jadeja went wicketless in both innings.

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How India ended up losing the 2025 Leeds Test

Sent into bat by Ben Stokes, India put up 471 on the board courtesy of hundreds from Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant. They should ideally have had scored 600-plus, but suffered a shocking batting collapse to go from 430-3 to 471 all out, losing 7-41.

England responded with 465 as Ollie Pope hit 106 and Harry Brook 99. In the second innings, Pant and KL Rahul scored tons. However, India again slipped from 333-4 to 364 all out, losing 6-31. Chasing 371, England got home in the last session of Day 5. Apart from Duckett's ton, Zak Crawley (65) and Root (53*) also made crucial contributions.