We never give up: Gill hails team India’s grit after Oval thriller against England

Dubai: Shubman Gill had just finished marshalling India to one of their most dramatic Test wins in recent memory when he stepped up to speak for his team — and for the five-match epic that had just concluded. “We never give up,” the young captain said, moments after India sealed a thrilling six-run victory over England at The Oval, squaring the series 2-2 and breathing new life into the longest format.

The match, and the series, was a throwback to the golden days of Test cricket — and Monday’s tension-filled finish was a fitting finale. England needed just 35 runs on the final day with four wickets in hand to chase down a target of 374. But under gloomy skies and unbearable pressure, Mohammed Siraj turned into a one-man demolition crew. The pacer claimed three of the four wickets to fall in a gripping morning spell, finishing with 5 for 104 and sending India into delirium.

“It means so much,” said Gill, named India’s Player of the Series by England coach Brendon McCullum. “When you have bowlers like Siraj and Prasidh doing what they did, captaincy looks easy. The way we responded today was magnificent. We were confident even yesterday, we knew they were under pressure and we wanted to keep it that way.”

India’s margin of victory — six runs — was their narrowest in terms of runs in Test cricket history. But the scale of what was achieved extended far beyond statistics. Siraj had earlier let big moments slip in this series — including an infamous dropped catch of Harry Brook and a last-wicket batting collapse at Lord’s — but delivered when it counted most.

“Siraj is a captain’s dream,” Gill said. “He gave it his all every ball, every spell. Today he stepped up again in a big moment. I think 2-2 is a fair reflection of how passionate both teams were.”

England, for their part, fought bravely. Jamie Overton’s early boundaries had Indian nerves on edge. Jamie Smith, the last recognised batter, fell with 27 still to get. No. 10 Josh Tongue resisted until he was yorked by Prasidh Krishna. Then came the most stirring moment of the day — Chris Woakes, with a dislocated left shoulder, walking out one-handed to a standing ovation.

Atkinson shielded Woakes admirably, even hitting Siraj for six over cow corner to bring the target down to 11. But when he attempted a reverse sweep off Siraj and lost his stumps, the Indian team erupted — Siraj ran with arms outstretched in airplane mode, the entire group pausing amid celebration to shake Woakes’ hand for his courage.

“It was a wonderful Test match and a wonderful series,” said England skipper Ben Stokes, who missed the Oval match through injury. “We’re disappointed not to win, but this has been an unbelievable advert for Test cricket. For all the doubters who think it’s dying — this series showed the opposite.”

Gill echoed that sentiment. “This was hard cricket played in the right spirit. My aim was to be the best batter in this series and I’m glad I got there. But more than that, what we take away from the last six weeks is that we never give up. That’s the identity of this team.”

India’s comeback was made even more impressive by the absence of stars like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah in the final Test. Yet in their place, a new generation led by Gill, Siraj, and Krishna showed they were more than ready to take the torch forward — with character, composure, and class.