Did India miss out on series win vs England? Stats indicate
India drew 2-2 with England in a hard-fought Test series but missed a chance to win, dropping 23 catches, their most ever in a series. The series saw 41 total drops, the highest since 2018, with both teams struggling in the field throughout.
The England vs India five-match Test series ended in a 2-2 draw, a result few had predicted at the outset. With stalwarts like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin absent, expectations were modest for the Shubman Gill-led Indian side. However, the young team exceeded expectations, showcasing remarkable resilience and skill throughout the English summer.
Among the many positives were the standout displays from captain Gill, KL Rahul, and Mohammed Siraj, whose consistency played a key role in India’s competitiveness. Yet, despite these individual successes, one glaring issue continued to haunt the visitors: their fielding.
India dropped a staggering 23 catches over the five Tests, which is the most they’ve ever put down in a single Test series. This lapse in fielding proved costly, often allowing England to rebuild innings and shift momentum. In a series where the margins were razor-thin, sharper fielding might have tilted the result in India’s favour.
The major talking point in fielding was Yashasvi Jaiswal’s multiple dropped catches in the first Test at Headingley. It definitely played a part in England getting control of the game and winning the match by five wickets. Even in the fifth Test, Siraj picked up the catch of Harry Brook, but unfortunately, stepped on the boundary rope while holding onto it. The England international went to score a century and could have cost India the game, but that didn’t happen, courtesy of India’s terrific bowling on Day 5.
Most catches dropped in a series since 2018
This series also set an unwanted record for the highest number of dropped catches in a Test series since ball-by-ball data is available for fielding in 2018. A total of 41 chances were put down across the five matches, more than any other series in that span. Notably, both India and England have developed a habit of being inconsistent in the field. In fact, three of the top four series with the most missed opportunities have involved these two teams, including India’s previous tours of England in 2021-22 (37 drops) and 2018 (32 drops).