Leeds, June 24 -- India head coach Gautam Gambhir defended the tail-end despite the twin batting collapse in each innings of the opening Test against England at Headingley.

India surrendered to a five-wicket defeat to fall 1-0 behind in the five-match affair. England choreographed a historic 371-run chase on the final day, courtesy of Ben Duckett's flamboyant 149, Joe Root's calm 53* and Jamie Smith's explosive 44*.

At the end of the day, Indian players would turn to the mirror, look at themselves and rue the missed opportunities that fell their way. Besides the catch-dropping fiasco, India's tail-end engineered a lacklustre performance, allowing England to tip the scales in their favour.

In the first innings, India positioned itself i...