India suffered a rare defeat at home when they went down against England in the first Test in Chennai by 227 runs. The Indian team was completely outplayed by England. Right from the toss, nothing went in India’s favor. Let’s get started with the reasons on why India lost to England in the first test match.

We at StumpsandBails identify the reasons for India’s defeat to England.

#1 Virat Kohli’s Questionable Captaincy

Virat Kohli was not his usual self while leading the Indian team against England in Chennai. He looked a bit too soft which isn’t his character at all. Kohli didn’t make the full use of Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah as he made them bowl just in small bursts of 3-over spells. To be fair to Kohli, the conditions in Chennai were sapping too but he could have used his gun pacers more wisely.

Kohli allowed England batsmen to settle by making the inexperienced duo of Shahbaz Nadeem and Washington Sundar bowl together. England targeted them and made merry which proved to be the difference between the two sides.

#2 Rohit Sharma’s poor form as an opener continues

Rohit Sharma walked into the team in the 3rd Test against Australia at Sydney. Since then he has scored just a single fifty in the last 6 innings. Sharma had a stellar 2019 as a Test opener wherein he scored 556 runs in 6 innings at an average of 92.66. He scored two centuries and a double century during that phase.

Everyone believed that Sharma has finally arrived at the Test level. But he has had a disappointing run in 2021 scoring just 147 runs in 6 innings so far at an average of 24.5. It was his inability to bat big in the first innings that cost India the big lead. He will be waiting to make a big score come to the next Test.

#3 Ajinkya Rahane’s inconsistent run

Ajinkya Rahane is one of India’s most valuable Test batsmen. Hence it becomes imperative that he puts on a show quite often than not. He had scored a stellar century in Melbourne against Australia but post which he hasn’t made any significant contribution.

Rahane’s numbers at home have been pretty ordinary for a batsman of his caliber. He averages a middling 37 in the home Tests while he averages 44 in the away Tests. Rahane could score just a single run across 2 innings in the first Test against England in Chennai. It is high time Rahane puts up a string of good scores together.

#4 Ravi Shastri’s ambiguous team selection

Ravi Shastri had claimed in 2018-19 that Kuldeep Yadav is India’s number 1 spinner in Tests overseas. The comment came after Yadav picked up a five-wicket haul against the Aussies in Sydney, 2019. But the left-arm chinaman bowler is yet to play his next Test post that match. In the presence of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, it is difficult to accommodate Yadav. But he hasn’t been given a run even in the duo’s absence.

He could have probably been the X-factor for India in the Test match but Shahbaz Nadeem was picked over him. The move backfired badly as Nadeem not just went for runs but failed to pick up wickets too. The onus of making such a call falls with the head coach, Ravi Shastri. He has got to be more assertive in wanting game-changers in the line-up.

These were the main reasons and draw backs why India lost to England in first test match.