Gautam Gambhir found some much-needed relief as India’s Test coach after the team’s heroic fightback at The Oval. India secured a dramatic six-run win against England in the fifth and final match of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, ending the series in a 2-2 draw.
Heading into Day 5, England needed 35 runs and India had to take four wickets. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna delivered under pressure, with Siraj removing three of the remaining four batters. He completed a five-wicket haul and finished the match with nine wickets, earning the Player of the Match award.
In the absence of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, Siraj led the Indian attack with heart and precision.
Gambhir Reflects on Team Effort and a Culture Shift
Reacting to the hard-fought win, Gautam Gambhir emphasized the team-first mindset in a video shared by BCCI: “It’s going to be the ideology of this Test team, where it won’t be about individual-centric, it will be about the team. The way the boys have fought. I’ve always been a big believer that you should always get what you deserve, not what you want. And I think the guys deserved it,” said Gambhir.
Despite leading India to a Champions Trophy win earlier this year, Gambhir faced increasing criticism over India’s red-ball performances. Losses against New Zealand at home and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia had raised doubts.
With Test legends like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin retiring, the new-look squad under Shubman Gill had much to prove. And they delivered.
Gill Shines as Leader and Run Machine
Captain Shubman Gill emerged as the standout performer of the series. He scored 754 runs, including four centuries, and was named India’s Player of the Series.
“I’m feeling very ecstatic and high right now and very happy with the way everyone performed. Very happy with the way everyone contributed throughout the series. Different people stepping in at different moments,” said Gill.
“This is what you want as a captain, and I’m very happy with the way I performed as a batter as well,” he added.
Gill’s critics had questioned his ability to perform in SENA countries. He answered with a century in the first innings of the series and a career-best 269 in the Edgbaston Test, which India won by 336 runs.
KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja also made significant contributions, each scoring over 500 runs across the five matches. The team’s all-round effort helped them draw the series in dramatic fashion.
India’s Oval victory will go down as one of their greatest overseas Test wins in recent history.
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