What the Indian women had and the men lacked in England was better planning, more time to acclimatise (players have been there since May for the World Cup and the T20I series), sensible selection, superior captain-coach co-ordination, better fielding (that catch by Richa Ghosh at silly mid-off was one of the finest ever), keener awareness of the game situation, all of which added up to a resounding Test win. The men’s 0-4 loss in the T20 series following the 0-2 loss to Ireland shone a light on issues that have been long glossed over.
Admittedly, the men were without Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah (rested), and skipper Surya Kumar Yadav (sacked) from the World Cup-winning side. Player-of-the tournament Sanju Samson was handled poorly, his increasing insecurity (with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi waiting in the wings) used as a weapon against him.
Added to that was the mishandling of Sooryavanshi himself who was thrown in the deep end in England when he might have profited from starting out in Ireland. He was advised to ignore the noise around him, advice coach Gautam Gambhir himself followed, playing everything close to his chest. India failed to get the best out of their two top batters.
Misplaced belief
India believe they can field two or three T20 sides of roughly equal strength. The IPL, on which such a belief is based, is played on good tracks where explosive batters prosper and all-rounders miss out because of the impact substitute rule. As Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said in England, “What works in India won’t necessarily work here.”
Perhaps having so much skill in their ranks worked against the team. When there are many claimants for a slot, players try too hard, or attempt the spectacular regardless of the state of the match, the wicket or the opposition. An element of selfishness creeps in, especially if a player feels anxious. Sometimes nothing succeeds like failure. Were the Indian men undone by their own riches? Was competition for places a curse rather than a blessing? When teams begin to lose, individuals become overkeen to protect their territory.
If the women appeared more settled, and less troubled by selection, it had everything to do with coach Amol Muzumdar and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur. The communication lines were clear. Television caught the captain preparing to declare in India’s second innings casually looking over her shoulder at the coach whose nod was almost imperceptible. There is respect here, and a maturity to understand their respective roles.
Contrasting attitudes
Muzumdar has been an outstanding mentor, bringing to his task a calmness and an empathy for the players which begets trust and respect, as Harmanpreet has acknowledged more than once.
Gambhir’s approach is more along the lines of “my way or the highway”, and his prickly nature can be intimidating. All is forgiven when the team succeeds, but brought into sharper focus when it does not.
Consistently poor fielding and catching are usually indication that there is a problem within the team. At no time did the Indian men look like the world champions they are; they have fabulous batters and excellent bowlers, but apparently not a great team — and that is worrying. A good showing in the one-day series will probably erase the results in T20; this is often the way. Earlier results tend to be forgotten, and thus forgiven.
The women were professional, and deserved the win. Yastika Bhatia’s century at Lord’s — Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli don’t have one there — and Kranti Gaud’s five wickets in an innings have a significance far beyond the honours board.
Striking a balance
Smriti Mandhana’s two half centuries, the success of the off spinners Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana, an unbeaten half-century by Richa Ghosh point to team effort in the win. Harmanpreet’s fifty in the first innings and her measured captaincy throughout, unhurried, skilfully maintaining the balance between attack and defence was crucial too. India haven’t lost a Test yet in England, having now played ten.
The women’s victory coming on the heels of the men’s defeats might exaggerate some of the differences. Teams are judged by results, however, not on potential or future hope. In the here-and-now, the Indian women’s team has a lesson or two for the men’s.
Published – July 15, 2026 02:00 am IST
