Team India skipper Shubman Gill explained what happened when Gus Atkinson managed to sneak through for a single off the final ball of the 84th over to keep the strike. Mohammed Siraj, the bowler, was upset with wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel’s attempt to run out while wearing both gloves.
During Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes’ final wicket stand, the game was on the verge of being decided. Although both are decent batters who can handle a difficult situation, the experienced pitcher was playing with a dislocated shoulder, which prevented him from striking out.
Team India intended to capitalize on this by keeping Atkinson off strike, and they got the potential to do so toward the conclusion of the 84th over. The right-handed batter failed to make contact with Siraj’s full and wide offering, forcing him to scramble through for a single, as Woakes took off from the other end.
Jurel, on the other hand, replied with a weak throw as the ball slid sluggishly off the gloves, missing the stumps completely. Siraj appeared unhappy when England escaped unscathed, and he also asked skipper Gill a question.
“He told me to tell Dhruv Jurel to take off his gloves for a run-out chance, By the time I told Dhruv, Siraj ran away, so we did not get the time. So after the run-out chance was missed, he asked me why didn’t I tell Dhruv to take off the glove?” Gill said during the post-series press conference (via Times of India).
In the next over, Jurel was caught with one glove removed in an attempt to smash the stumps considerably more efficiently if a similar opportunity arose again.
However, Siraj took matters into his own hands in his next over, bowling a scorching yorker to castle Gus Atkinson and seal the close six-run victory. Gill recalls speaking with head coach Gautam Gambhir pre to the series, who referred to the team as a ‘gun team’ rather than a ‘youth team’.
“Before the start of the series, Gauti bhai said that yes we are a young team, but we don’t want to be looked as a young team, we want to be looked as a gun team. The way we played today, it showed why we are a gun team, and we have gun players like him (Siraj) in the team, and that is what makes this team so special.”
Shubman Gill
The result comes as a huge relief for Gautam Gambhir, whose red-ball skills were seriously questioned following the home whitewash against New Zealand and the 1-3 loss to Australia in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar series, which denied him a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
“Hard to Pick One” – Shubman Gill Reflects on His Favorite Ton of the Series
Shubman Gill was told to choose his favorite out of the four match hundreds that he had amassed to be considered the android-Anderson-Tendulkar trophy in 2025. The right hander pulled off a history by hitting 754 runs in five Tests almost equaling the 771 runs record set by Sunil Gavaskar in 1971.
“Each hundred that I scored had a very different significance. If I can say, the one in Leeds was my first match. I was under a bit of pressure, of not being able to perform, especially in this format how I wanted. So, that 100 would always be special for me. Then the double hundred and hundred in Birmingham was also special, and the one in Manchester to be able to save that game. Each of them has a story, and each of them means a lot to me. So, it is difficult to just pick one.”
Shubman Gill
The Indian captain further stressed that the idea of reducing Test cricket to four days should be avoided at all costs.
“If Test match was a four-day event, then all five matches in this series would have been drawn. I think Test cricket should be as it is. In my opinion, it is the most rewarding and satisfying format.”
Shubman Gill
India’s 2025 visit of England marks only the fourth occasion since 2000 that all five Tests in a series have lasted five days. The fifth Test at The Oval was set to end on Day 4, thanks to a wild opening two days on a green top, but weather forced the match to be postponed until Day 5, extending the series’ winning streak.
