The Greatest Fightback: Battle Cry Of New Indian Cricket Team Is ‘Never Give Up'

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A series named after some of the biggest legends truly lived up to the hype. Five Tests, each one going into the 5th day, and the series ends 2-2—what more could a fan ask for?
As I write this piece, Bharat has achieved its narrowest of wins, defeating England at the Oval by a margin of six runs in the fifth and final test, drawing the series 2-2. The result at Oval is also the narrowest of margin win there in a test match in 100 years.
The series that just concluded was the second consecutive time a Test series between England and India, held on the English soil, ended in a draw. The last time India had toured England, back in 2021-22, the series ended with an identical result series of 2-2 draw. It also means after 2018, the England test team stays win-less in a five-match test series.
As regards Bharat, it is only the second time that an Indian test team has drawn a five-match series on the English soil.
The Gun Team
But, there was difference between then and now—the last time, the Indian team which drew the series in 2021-22, was of seasoned and experienced cricketers; this time, they were green horns—dubbed an inexperienced young team in the transition, playing their first test series without the Indian cricketing greats Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. That too on the English soil and with the services of its bowling great Jasprit Bumrah available at the best only for three matches.
Nevertheless, what this Indian cricket team handed was a fitting reply to the ultra-aggressive style of batting of the experienced English team. The young Turks of Bharat came out attacking with a blazing gun, both with bat and ball, to mark their arrival as the 'gun team", making the series an epic battle that will be remembered and talked about by cricketing pundits and cricket lovers for years to come.
The Backdrop
The performance of the young Bhartiya team must be seen amid the fact that since 1932, when India played the first one-match test series in England, in the 20 test series played there, it won only thrice—all three test series 1-0 (1971), 2-0 (1986) and 1-0 (2007). Of the balance 15, India lost 13 series and drew two in 2021-22 and 2025.
Only Thrice
Also, the performance of the young Indian team must be seen in the backdrop of the following:
1. In the 93 years of cricketing test match history between India and England, Bharat has won only 11 test matches of which four were won in the last two trips.
2. Only thrice has the Indian team won two test matches in series—in 1986 when India won 2-0, 2021-22 when it drew 2-2 and 2025 when it magnificently drew 2-2.
3. Third Win at Oval: Of 18 test matches played at Oval (excluding WTC 2023 final against Australia) India has won three, lost five and drawn nine against England. Earlier, an Oval win in 1971 under Ajit Wadekar landed India its first series win against England, while a tremendous win under the captaincy of Virat Kohli helped it to level the 2021-22 series 2-2.
Narrowest of Margin
The six-run margin of victory in the fifth Test against England at The Oval is India's narrowest victory margin in Tests. The previous narrowest margin was 13 runs while defending 107 against Australia in Mumbai in 2004. Also, the margin of six runs is the narrowest margin of victory at Oval in 100 years. As regards England, the six-run margin of defeat is their the joint third-narrowest defeat in Tests.
When India set England an imposing target of 374 on day three of the fifth and final Test at The Oval, with the hosts closing on 50-1 after opener Zak Crawley (14) was bowled by Mohammed Siraj (1-11) with the final ball of the day, it was a daunting task before the England team as the previous highest chase at The Oval was 263-9 against Australia in 1902.
But there were two things going in favour of England. In the first test match of this series, they successfully chased 371 (their second-highest chase), making it the first test where India became the first Test side to lose a Test after scoring five centuries. Also, in 2022, England had chased a record 378 runs and battered India at Edgbaston in 2022.
Going into the fourth day of The Oval test, they still had their thunder weapon in the armour—Bazball cricket—which almost delivered but for the stupendous performance of India on the last two days.
And, with their 195-run partnership, Brook (111) and Joe Root (105) with 301-3 on day four were almost running away with the victory, before Indian pacers struck. Had England pulled off the victory, it would have been their second-highest successful chase in their history and would have broken a 123-year-old record for the best chase by any team on this ground.
35 Runs or 4 Wickets
This was the fifth time in as many tests in the series that the match went to a wire, to the final day and the final wicket. And on the fifth and the final day of the fifth test match, England needed 35 runs to achieve 3-1 victory and India needed four wickets to equalise to 2-2. At that stage, the match could have gone any way. But Indian pacers Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna made quick work of the remaining four wickets on the final morning, bowling England out for 367 and winning the match by the narrowest margin of six runs.
From Villain to Superhero
On day three of the match, when Siraj dropped the catch of Brook then on 19, he became the instant villain across the country. But like a true sportsman not to be daunted by criticism or a mad moment, he returned on the fifth day, swinging 80 over ball, finishing with a second inning spell of 5/104 and returning with a match figure of nine wickets. Krishna was the second best, with four wickets in both innings.
Unsurprisingly then, within a span of one day, Siraj has turned from Villain Number 1 to Superhero. With his 23-wicket haul, he also turned the highest wicket-taker of the series.
From Heartbreak at Lords to Jubilation at Oval
The last day was sensational. A drama-laced, final-morning finish looked guaranteed and duly transpired with Overton (9) striking the first two balls for four to cut England's ask to 27 before the tireless Siraj nicked off Smith and pinned Overton lbw—England eight down with 20 needed.
Next over, Krishna got Tongue out—and Woakes walked in with a broken wrist, still 17 runs away from victory.
Atkinson smashed a six, bringing England just 7 runs away. But Siraj wasn't done. He bowled his heart out, brought out his magic, and turned a match India were losing into a win—with his sheer resilience and refusal to give up.
India didn't just win a Test—they reclaimed pride with pure fight
The latest win has made Mohammad Siraj toast of the nation with his wonder in which he fittingly cleaned up Gus Atkinson (17) to seal India's win in the fifth Test, snaring his 23rd wicket of the series as England were all out for 367, trying to turn a miracle chasing 374, handing over India a nerve-jangling, six-run victory.
It was Mohammed Siraj's unreal resistance, playing in all five Tests, steaming in with 140 km/h deliveries even on the 25th day of play, that paved the way for India's comeback.
Remarkable End to A Sensational Series
With all the five tests of the series going to wire, it has truly been a remarkable end to a sensational series that featured outstanding individual performances, gripping games—all of which went to a fifth day—and oodles of needle.
England head coach Brendon McCullum, talking about the series, said: 'That is the best five-match test series I have ever been a part of and witnessed… It just oscillated so much right throughout the six weeks, and I felt it had everything." He added: 'It was a cracking series to be a part of and when Siraj took that final wicket, as much I was disappointed, I had admiration for him and the fight he has got as a cricketer and the way he was able to do what he did."
Even Harry Brooks, who almost took the series away from India, saluted Siraj. He said: 'Siraj has played five test matches in a row, bowling 85mph every delivery. He's had a phenomenal series, and I respect what he's done in this series a lot."
And, what a one-liner from Indian chief coach Gautam Gambhir who wrote on his X handle: 'We'll win some, we'll lose some. But we'll NEVER surrender! Well done boys!"
What a thrilling series — worth every moment!
With 3,809 runs in five matches, India created a record, carving their name into Test cricket history by hammering an astonishing 470 boundaries, which included 422 fours and 48 sixes during the ongoing five-match series against England. This remarkable tally stands as the second-highest team aggregate in Test series history. Australia remains at the summit with 3,877 runs at an average of 57.86 during the iconic 1989 Ashes.
It is the first time India have crossed the 400-boundary mark in a Test series, shattering their long-standing record of 384 boundaries set back in 1964—a milestone that had stood unchallenged for 60 years.
Highest Individual Runs
If the above was not enough, Indian batters scored 50 or more scores 28 times in the series—a record for highest number of fifty plus team in any test series. The above helped team India to notch up a record eight, 350-plus scores in the series.
Also, five Indians scored more than 400 in the series led by captain Shubman Gill (754), KL Rahul (532), Rishabh Pant (479), Yashaswi Jaisawal (411) and Ravindra Jadeja (517).
The tournament witnessed 12 centuries by the visiting Indian side, including four by the captain— the highest by a visiting captain.
Summer of Captain Cool
The captain cool in Indian cricket is reserved for Mahendra Singh Dhoni. But in this England summer, the word aptly belongs to 24-year captain cool in his maiden series in England, which was baptism by fire. Apart from marshalling his resources in the field to perfection, he led the team from the front with his record-smashing performance with the willows. Gill said: 'I am so proud. This is as close as a Test match can get. It comes down to the last session, the last wicket, so I am tremendously proud."
ICC, while talking about Gill, said: 'With veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli calling time on their Test careers before the series, the leadership and the No. 4 batons were passed on to Shubman Gill. And he embraced it. His twin centuries, including a majestic 269 and 161 at Edgbaston, weren't just match-winning knocks – they were statements that the 25-year-old was coming for more.
Gill batted like a man possessed and captained with calm clarity, proving wrong anybody who doubted his role in the team.
Gill finished the series with 754 runs from 10 outings, only behind the great Steve Smith as the player with the most runs in a single ICC World Test Championship series."
ICC Pays the Best Tribute
The best tribute to the team comes from the ICC website itself, which puts it eloquently:
'Heading into the fifth Test with the series on the line, facing a formidable England side at home, and without the services of Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah, few would have predicted a fightback of this magnitude from a young Indian team.
It was an all-time classic. A dramatic six-run victory sealed by a final-hour surge from Mohammed Siraj, who took three of the last four wickets to script a stunning turnaround.
The win not only squared the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at 2-2 but also gave India's ICC World Test Championship campaign a significant boost, propelling them to third in the standings.
Looking back at Indian's storied away wins, this triumph at The Oval now sits alongside legendary performances at Eden Gardens in 2001 and Gabba in 2021. What makes this special is the backdrop—a transitional side, up against the hosts, succeeding in challenging conditions and holding their nerve when England needed just 35 runs with four wickets in hand."
The Three Word Magic
Asked to summarise the learnings from the series and the end of the series equaliser, captain Gill uttered three prophetic words: 'Never Give Up". And these three words define one of the greatest fightbacks in test cricket that has become the battle cry of the new-era Indian cricket team.
To Sum Up
The 2025 India vs England Test series rewrote the history books with a flurry of records. A staggering 7,000+ runs were scored, making it only the second series ever to cross that mark. Nine batters crossed 400 runs—an all-time high. The series also featured 18th-century partnerships, the most in a Test series this century.
In the topsy-turvy nerve-wracking series that saw plentiful up and downs for both teams, India had started with a heavy defeat in Leeds but bounced back in Birmingham, becoming only the first Asian side to win a Test at Edgbaston. India then suffered a heartbreaking 22-run loss at Lord's, failing to chase 195, before salvaging a gutsy draw in Manchester despite it giving a valiant fight and scare to England. And the climax was the Oval Test which brought the series to a dramatic close, with India denying England a home series win and retaining the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in style.
A series named after some of the biggest legends of the game truly lived up to the hype. Five Tests, each one going into the fifth day, and the series ends 2-2—what more could a cricket fan ask for?
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Test cricket is the real winner after 25 days of a gruelling and riveting dual.
The author is a multidisciplinary thought leader with Action Bias, India-based international impact consultant, and keen watcher of changing national and international scenarios. He works as president, advisory services of consulting company BARSYL. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views.
tags :
England Gautam Gambhir Shubhman Gill test cricket Virat Kohli
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New Delhi, India, India
First Published:
August 05, 2025, 09:10 IST
News opinion Khel Vaani | The Greatest Fightback: Battle Cry Of New Indian Cricket Team Is 'Never Give Up'
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