London [UK], August 5 : Following Team India's six-run win in a thriller at The Oval, the International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah hailed Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant and English all-rounder Chris Woakes for putting their bodies on the line for the country during the series, saying that they have both "defied the notion of human limitation".
The five-match series between India and England was a hard-fought and it was only fitting that it ended with a two-two scoreline. During the course of the series, overcoming minor and major injuries and body blows, players from both the teams put their bodies on the line, playing Test cricket just the way it should be, high-intensity on every ball, high-effort and power in every ball bowled or shot played.
One of the most courageous moments in world cricket occurred during the Manchester Test, when wicketkeeper-batter Pant walked out on day two to bat after sustaining a foot injury on day one of the match. Despite being able to stand, he was able to contribute some more runs to his overnight score of 37 and added 17 more runs, reaching a half-century which proved to be highly-important in the match context, as India managed to overcome a 311-run deficit of the first innings and managed to draw. It was Pant's extra runs that made sure that this deficit was not too high. His presence at the crease instilled a lot of confidence and self-belief in the changing room.
While Pant did not play the fifth Test due to a foot injury, he still ended up as the sixth-highest run-getter with 479 runs in four matches and seven innings at an average of 68.42, with two centuries and three fifties. His best score was 134.
Later in the final Test, Woakes faced an injury while fielding, reportedly dislocating his shoulder. While the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced that he could no longer play any part in the match, he walked out to bat with his arm slung up, to serve as Gus Atkinson's partner as England needed to knock off 17 more runs to pull off a series win. While he did not play a ball, Woakes's presence made sure that Atkinson did not run out of partners and could get an opportunity to go for a win.
Woakes though, had a disappointing series, scoring just 64 runs in seven innings and taking 11 wickets at an average of over 52, numbers not befitting England's most experienced pacer and a key all-rounder.
"No praise is enough for @RishabhPant17 and Chris Woakes, the warriors from @BCCI and @englandcricket. They've defied the notion of human limitation, redefined grit and courage and laid down a marker for future generations of cricketers. This is the legacy Test cricket deserves," Shah said in a post on X.
https://x.com/JayShah/status/1952367462420562111
After England opted to bowl first, they reduced India to 153/6. A 58-run partnership between Karun Nair (57 in 109 balls, with eight fours) and Washington Sundar (26 in 55 balls, with three fours) was the most meaningful part of the inning as India was bundled out for 224 runs. Apart from Gus Atkinson's five-wicket haul, Josh Tongue (3/57) was also good.
In the second innings, four-fers from Siraj (4/86) and Prasidh Krishna (4/62) reduced England to 247, despite a 92-run opening stand between Zak Crawley (64 in 57 balls, with 14 fours) and Ben Duckett (43 in 38 balls, with five fours and two sixes) and a fifty by Harry Brook (53 in 64 balls, with five fours and a six). They led by 23 runs.
In India's second innings, key contributions came from Yashasvi Jaiswal (118 in 164 balls, with 14 fours and two sixes), Akash Deep (66 in 94 balls, with 12 fours), Ravindra Jadeja (53 in 77 balls, with five fours) and Washington Sundar (53 in 46 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes).
Sundar stitched a very crucial 10th wicket stand with Krishna, with the latter scoring nothing out of it and Sundar doing all the hitting.
They all took India to 396 runs, giving them a 373-run lead and setting a target of 374 runs for England to win the series.
India started well, reducing England to 106/3. However, fine centuries from Harry Brook (111 in 98 balls, with 14 fours and two sixes) and Joe Root (105 in 152 balls, with 12 fours) troubled India with a 195-run stand for the fourth wicket. At one point, England was 317/4 on day four. However, a late surge by Siraj (5/104) and Krishna (4/126) shifted the pressure to England, and they were left six runs short, bundled out for 367 runs.
The series is drawn 2-2, reflecting the true nature of how well-fought the series was. The Shubman Gill era has started with immense promise and fight, giving signs of a bright future.