Fresh out of the shock of two heavyweight retirements, packed with a mix of rookies and old guards, led by a young captain handed a huge responsibility, Team India had arrived in England with all handicaps a visiting team should not carry in an overseas tour. At the end of the long and mentally exhausting tour, going through a tough grind, this team has emerged as a gritty combatant who just never gives up despite numerous knockdowns. The 2-2 result in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test series has brought with it a new India which knows only two words as their motto — Rise and Fight.

 

At the Oval, on the fifth morning of the fifth Test, India literally replayed a capsule of what all transpired in this long tour. In 53 minutes, India produced classic cinema, packed with every element -- drama, thrill, despondency, romance -- to tell the world what Indian cricket is made of. But the best of it was reserved for the climax when the relentless warrior Mohammed Siraj cleaned up Gus Atkinson with a full delivery to put Shubman Gill’s team right up there in the line of some best Test units. The victory at Oval had all the thrill India had experienced at Gabba a couple of years ago.

 

There were many similarities. No bowling spearhead, no top batsman (Rishabh Pant), a pace attack led by the second-in-command, an opponent which had the knack of seizing critical moments. This time it was India’s gallant fighters who made their own moment, seizing them with both hands, to give the country a fulfilling and satisfying feeling that will linger on for a long time. Though the series was a case of too many missed chances, no praise can be too high for Gill’s Gladiators for standing up to fight despite heartbreaking setbacks. India could have fancied their chances to win the series 4-1 had they grabbed the opportunities at the right time. Yet, the 2-2 scoreline tastes like a victory for the manner in which it was achieved and by the men who just refused to give in. This is the real story of this England tour. It is a new start for Team India under a captain who learned his lessons quickly and with players who value the country’s pride much higher than the perceptions formed about them by some dim-heads. The series ranks right at the top for Indian cricket. It was a collective effort where batsmen mastered the English conditions by scoring in bulk and bowlers had their quick-fixes ready to shock the hosts.

 

K L Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, S Sudharshan, Gill, all knew their roles and the importance of their wicket. A stuttering Karun Nair realised the merit of staying put on a difficult morning of the last Test. In Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, India unearthed ‘rare earth minerals’ as solid all-rounders with a heart of gold, Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep did not bother about the meme-troll armies, and towering over all was Mohammad Siraj carrying the entire burden of bowling with a smile on face and belief in heart. It was enthralling and exciting to watch this bunch coming out each day and standing up to every interrogation for 25 scintillating days of Test cricket. Siraj exemplified the spirit of this team by refusing to give it up despite the target on the last day reduced to a paltry 35 runs. With four wickets in hands and with the Bazball thinking ruling their game, it was supposed to be a cakewalk for England till Siraj summoned the inner core of his heart to unleash a sensational spell of pace bowling.

 

The man just kept getting up after every punch to tell the world that he had arrived out of the long shadow of Jasprit Bumrah. In fact, the series was full of such statements from the Indians. Gill nailed his chance with over 700 runs, Rahul marked a permanent place in the Test squad, Jaiswal confirmed his credentials as a long-term prospect, Jadeja shut down the debate of best all-rounders, and then, India closed a nasty debate!