Did India’s Strategy to Pressure England Lead to Their Six-Run Victory?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- India’s successful strategy involved applying consistent pressure on England.
- Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna were instrumental in the win.
- Shubman Gill’s leadership proved effective in high-pressure situations.
- The series showcased the high skill level of both teams.
- A 2-2 series result indicates a balanced competition.
London, Aug 4 (NationPress) Following their remarkable six-run triumph in the fifth Test at The Oval, India’s captain Shubman Gill mentioned that their approach of maintaining pressure on England during the final day of play was effective. On the fifth day, India secured the last four wickets for just 28 runs, clinching the match and equalizing the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series at 2-2. “Every Test we came on day four and day five never knowing who was going to win. It just shows that both the teams came with their A game and I am very happy to get over the line in this one.”
“There was a bit of pressure on us but I think the way we came through that spell was magnificent for us. Pressure makes you do things you don't want to, and we wanted them to feel it as they looked to chase all those runs,” stated Gill during the post-match presentation.
India’s astonishing win was spearheaded by Mohammed Siraj with figures of 5-104 and Prasidh Krishna taking 4-126. “When you have bowlers like Siraj and Prasidh, captaincy seems easy. They were making the ball talk. He (Siraj) is a captain’s dream, every ball, every spell he bowled he came all out and gave it everything for the team,” Gill elaborated.
Gill was also honored as India’s Player of the Series, awarded by England coach Brendon McCullum for being the leading run-scorer in the series, marking his first assignment as the team’s Test captain.
“2-2 is a fair reflection. It shows how passionate both teams were and how well they played. Very rewarding, my aim was to be the best batter this series and getting there is very satisfying. It's always a matter of sorting things out technically and mentally, they are correlated. Learnings from the last six weeks: We never give up,” he concluded.