- June 29, 2025
We’ve all been there – that uneasy feeling of triumph just before it spirals out of control. That was India in Birmingham, 2022. With 378 runs needed to chase, fans were already dreaming satisfied dreams after the halfway point in the game. However, a trained Root and Bairstow flipped the script and made what should have been a tense chase a walk in the park. After the collapse, coach Rahul Dravid marginally commented, “I don’t want to point fingers at anyone”. Let’s rewind that heartbreak and reveal what it highlighted about India’s Test journey.
The Collapse That Changed the Vibe
From the scorecard alone, you would have thought India did everything right — 416 in the first innings, a healthy second innings total, and England chasing down almost 400 runs. But that is the problem with Test cricket, it’s not how much, but when.
India was largely ahead for most of the Test. However, one harsh session turned everything on its head. From 190 for 4 in the second innings, they slumped to 245 all-out — an implosion of a score that gifted momentum to England. From there, Bairstow and Root did what they do best — beat the bowlers to a pulp. And they did just that. An outstanding unbeaten partnership of 269 runs was class, but also gut-wrenching for India.
Dravid did not call it out by name, but he made it clear. “Maybe we coulda bowled better. The batting probably has not been good enough either,” he explained. A delightfully refreshing take on a difficult time.
The Bigger Problem: A Pattern of Fading Finishes
It wasn’t a one-off heartbreak. In the 2025 Leeds Test, with a different coach, the same story was repeated. Big runs? Check. Over the line, punctuated by a batting collapse? Check. England chasing a mammoth total with the urgency of a Sunday net? Alas, check.
The Birmingham loss in 2022 was the beginning of something worrying. Since then, India has failed to defend several 200+ targets, not just overseas but also in South Africa. It is not a skill issue — they have the same caliber of bowlers like Bumrah, Siraj, and Jadeja. So it must be in that final act that intensity is lost, that rhythm is lost, and they momentarily let open the door just enough for the opponents to come barging through.
Dravid’s take was layered: “It could be a variety of factors: intensity, fitness, or just the ability to sustain pressure over five days.” That’s the hard truth. Test cricket isn’t won in bursts. It’s a grind. And lately, India’s been running out of gas right when it matters.
Leadership and Accountability – The Rahul Dravid Way
Amid the wreckage of defeat, Rahul Dravid stood like a lighthouse—offering clarity, not condemnation.
Dravid could have easily blamed individuals for the middle-order collapse, the incompetent bowling effort, or the tactical mistakes. But he did not do that. And that is quintessentially Dravid. Rather than criticize individual players, he offered only thoughts on team improvement. Mainly, “it is something we need to work on.” That is leadership based on progress, not evasion.
At that point in Birmingham, after the match, and not merely because a coach was standing up for his team, it was also about accountability, humility, and a stark realization about Test cricket in itself. Rahul Dravid’s “Don’t want to blame anyone” wasn’t a cop-out; it was a challenge: first to himself, second to his players, third to the system.
What do you think India needs most to complete big Tests — tactics, temperament, or something more? Let us know your thoughts below.
For more, visit JeetBuzz News to read our quality Cricket Blog updates. Explore if you want to reminisce and enjoy all of your favourite cricket players and nostalgic match moments. To ensure that you never miss out, keep updated and join in the fun!
