The Indian men’s team once again failed to win the toss, making it the third consecutive toss loss in the ongoing Test series against England. In the third Test at Lord’s, England captain Ben Stokes chose to bat first, further extending India’s run of poor luck at the toss.

This isn’t just limited to this series — India’s troubles with the toss have spanned across formats throughout 2025. So far, the men’s and women’s teams combined have lost 17 tosses this year, managing to win just two out of 19 matches.

The last time the men’s team won a toss was back in January 2025, when Suryakumar Yadav led India against England in Rajkot. Meanwhile, the women’s team, under Harmanpreet Kaur, last won the toss in May 2025 against Sri Lanka.

What’s more concerning is that the Indian men’s team has now lost 13 tosses in a row across formats — a streak that has raised eyebrows, especially given how crucial toss outcomes can be in determining match strategy.

Gill’s Toss Strategy Matches Stokes’ Call

However, despite losing the toss, things went in his favour — England captain Ben Stokes chose to bat first, which is exactly what Shubman Gill would have preferred had he won.

Although the toss didn’t go his way, Shubman Gill revealed during the interaction with Ravi Shastri that he too was leaning toward bowling first. He admitted to being slightly uncertain in the morning but confirmed that he would’ve made the same decision based on the pitch conditions.

“I was a little confused in the morning about what to do, but I would have bowled first. The wicket tends to offer a bit in the first session. It’s never easy to take 20 wickets, but our bowlers are confident. I’m feeling really good. As a batter, you always want to contribute when it matters.”