New Delhi [India], August 17 : India's 2-2 draw in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy wasn't just about numbers on the scoreboard, it was about resilience, belief, and moments of brilliance by the Indian team.
Reflecting on the hard-fought series, all-rounder Shardul Thakur highlighted how India's refusal to give up, even in the toughest of situations, stood out.
"Everyone gave in a lot of energy even when fielding after a tiring, tough session, or say a big partnership. No one showed any sign of 'letting the match go'," Shardul said while speaking to Boria Majumdar on Revsportz.
"India was in winning positions in most of the matches except for Manchester. I would say both teams played equal cricket, just that England, being their home ground, had a slight advantage of knowing the conditions better," he added.
If England had the familiarity of conditions, India had sheer spirit. Shardul pointed to how individual brilliance often sparked collective belief.
"Team India always had their spirits high and had terrific individual performances that inspired the rest to follow their lead and perform," he said.
"Every match, I believe we had performances from individuals that stood out. For example, (Jasprit) Bumrah taking a five-for, getting a few hundreds in the first match, Prasidh (Krishna) and I getting crucial wickets, (Mohammed) Siraj bowling long spells," Shardul noted.
The list of standouts was long. From Shubman Gill's fluent knocks in Birmingham, to Rishabh Pant's two fighting hundreds, to KL Rahul's impressive innings, India found heroes everywhere. Even the lower order chipped in.
"Oval third innings, having runs from the lower order - those are the kind of things that keep the atmosphere alive in the dressing room," Shardul explained.
Dhruv Jurel (34) and Washington Sundar (53) put some critical runs to India's total of 396, which helped them to secure a lead of 373 runs. They eventually won that Test match by six runs.