Washington Sundar set another great example in the ongoing England tour as his fiery half-century put the visitors in a powerful position in their must-win game at The Oval Test, where India have set a giant fourth innings target of 374 runs for the hosts England. 

It is the last Test of the five-match Test series (Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025), where the hosts England are leading by 2-1. After a poor start in the first innings in the ongoing The Oval Test, India brilliantly made a comeback in the second half of the second innings of the Test match, and then the batters put the visitors in a dominant position on the challenging batting pitch. 

With the help of a century from the opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (118), a surprising maiden international half-century from the nightwatcher Akash Deep (66), and valuable scores from Ravindra Jadeja (53) and Dhruv Jurel (34), India already managed the 300+ lead. But Washington Sundar's quick-fire 50 put the visitors in almost a dream situation as they managed to set a 374-run target for the hosts. 

See Also: 'Dhoni number 1 banega...'- Netizens react after 'Most Talked About Indians in July' list published

Washington Sundar set great example in latest England tour

While many Indian batters have impressed in this tour, Washington Sundar has shone as much as a lower-order batter, except for the heroic Manchester Test draw, where he came to bat at no.5 in the third innings and scored his maiden Test century. In fact, after the latest innings during India's second innings in The Oval Test, Sundar became the fifth-highest run-scorer for India from no.8 or lower-order batting in an away bilateral Test series (183 in seven innings, excluding Manchester Test century).  

Washington Sundar scored 39-ball 50

In the third innings of The Oval Test, Sundar slammed a 39-ball half-century with the help of four fours and four sixes. He scored 53 off 46 balls before losing his wicket, as the visitors scored 396 runs. With the last batter Prasidh Krishna, who faced only two balls and couldn't open his account, Sundar had a 39-run partnership for the last wicket in just 19 balls.

Thank you Gautam Gambhir for backing Washington Sundar when others didn’t. 🙏⁰India has found a gem of an all-rounder. 🇮🇳💎⁰~ What's your take on this 🤔 #INDvsENG #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/mM3rjnc10i

— Kavya Maran (@Kavya_Maran_SRH) August 2, 2025

Gabba 2021
MCG 2024
Manchester 2025
Oval 2025

Washington Sundar has played only 13 Tests but the impact he has made is unreal 🤯. pic.twitter.com/asTwmeBqRi

— 𝐉𝐨𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐞 (@jod_insane) August 2, 2025

A 39 BALL FIFTY BY WASHINGTON SUNDAR. 🤯

- 4,4,6 to bring his fifty up. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/8Ve5S5sAPV

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) August 2, 2025

No words are enough to praise Washington Sundar.⁰One of the most underrated all-rounders.⁰No flashy PR, just pure class—always steps up in tough moments. 🙌
⁰~ What's your take on this 🤔 #INDvsENG #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/2opi5uTH5W

— Kavya Maran (@Kavya_Maran_SRH) August 2, 2025

How other see How Gambhir
Washington Management
Sundar. See him. pic.twitter.com/YNKPgwwhqe

— कट्टर INDIA समर्थक 🦁🇮🇳 ™ (@KKRWeRule) August 2, 2025

Washington Sundar 🔥 pic.twitter.com/sAr2uMpJpV

— Homie (@homelander_yyy) August 2, 2025

Give him bat, he will score.
Give him ball, he will pick wickets.
Ask him to field, he will save runs

Washington Sundar might go down as one of the most complete cricketer world has ever seen pic.twitter.com/U9ATCH5UhB

— Parmar' (@saisuszn) August 2, 2025

Washington Sundar when the 9 wickets down :

#INDvsENG2025 pic.twitter.com/bFjZJqoOvE

— Sarcasm (@sarcastic_us) August 2, 2025

Washington Sundar's family watching Sundar Batsman on TV pic.twitter.com/GC1JxBspbJ

— Honest Cricket Fan's (@maddiess18) August 2, 2025

Gill will get hype bcz he is captain
Csk fans and neutrals will hype jadeja
Jaiswal already has fans to hype him

Washington Sundar rarely gets the recognition he deserves. He deserves equal appreciation 🫡 pic.twitter.com/cM15W04Ycm

— ` (@chixxsays) August 2, 2025

Dear Gautam Gambhir, don't waste Washington Sundar generational batting talent, let's push him to bat in the top 5. pic.twitter.com/OIKu0riRNe

— Sujeet Suman (@sujeetsuman1991) August 2, 2025

Important contributions from India's lower middle order with Jaddu and Jurel chipping in but the real PAIN for England? The WASHINGTON TAX. Massive. Unbelievable. They weren’t ready!!! 😜 #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/jziAtlEZ1Z

— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) August 2, 2025

Petition for Washington Sundar to bat higher up the order! #ENGvIND

— Eems (@NaeemahBenjamin) August 2, 2025

Washington Sundar had that fire in his eyes. He had that determination to shut his trolls and those criticizing him for the way he bats with the tail. So heartening to see him in absolute beast mode ❤️💪 #INDvsENG

— Anuj Nitin Prabhu (@APTalksCricket) August 2, 2025

I have a feeling that Washington Sundar may soon get a Steve Smith-esque promotion. https://t.co/o4VtczLPTY pic.twitter.com/0ozBs7mG8z

— Broken Cricket Dreams Cricket Blog (@cricket_broken) August 2, 2025

Washington Sundar, who went from No.8 to No.9, and ends up with more runs in the series than all options India tried at the No.3 position in the series. Will also have more runs than England's No.3, vice-captain (& stand-in captain) if Pope ends up making < 5.#ENGvsIND

— Rohit Sankar (@imRohit_SN) August 2, 2025

Irrespective of where the test is played Washington Sundar's name should be the first name written on the sheet even when great Bumrah is available..

— Amal Sudhakaran (@amal_sachinism) August 2, 2025

Indian pacers put the visitors right back on track in The Oval Test, and it became effectively visible after the Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj dismissed the English legend Joe Root, who had no clue how to handle that delivery. 

After India were bowled out for 224 runs, the English openers provided a flying start with a 92-run partnership in just 12.5 overs. But once that partnership was broken, the Indian pacers dominated with the ball and took regular wickets, as the hosts England were struggling at 215/7 at tea. 

Joe Root and Harry Brook were fighting hard as they had a 33-run partnership for the fourth wicket, while the Indian pacers were asking questions to the batters. Prasidh Krishna made life difficult for Root, while Mohammed Siraj also tested the second leading run-scorer in Test cricket history.

[WATCH] Mohammed Siraj strikes again to dismiss Jacob Bethell in 5th Test at The Oval

Mohammed Siraj trapped Joe Root

After conceding two fours in the first two balls, Siraj ended the over with the key wicket of Joe Root. Siraj delivered with a scrambled seam while it came quicker to Root, who had no clue, and it hit straight to his front pad. The non-striker end umpire Ahsan Raza had no doubt about that as he raised his finger to give it out.  

Root went for a review to check his luck, but it had no chance, as it was a plumb, and the visitors purchased an important wicket to make a comeback in the game. The former English Test captain was dismissed for 29 runs. 

Watch Joe Root's dismissal

That’s massive! 💥

Mohammed Siraj gets the huge breakthrough, Joe Root is gone!#ENGvIND 👉 5th TEST, DAY 2 | LIVE NOW on JioHotstar pic.twitter.com/SsOchMIRoq

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) August 1, 2025

The visitors India are trailing the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy by 2-1 as it is their must-win game, which is the final Test of the five-match series. If India can't win the Test, they will lose this series, while they only have the best result chance to draw the Test series by winning the ongoing The Oval Test. 

Indian speedster Akash Deep and England top-order batter Ben Duckett engaged in a very animated exchange after the fall of the first wicket. Duckett, along with Zak Crawley, quickly raced out of the blocks to give England a blazing start in the early hours of day two. The duo put on a blistering 92-run stand in only 77 balls, with Duckett adding a rapid 43 off 38. He went hard against the likes of Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, and did not even spare India's senior paceman, Mohammed Siraj.

Duckett's entertaining stay finally came to an end during the penultimate ball of the 13th over. In an effort to scoop Deep over the slip cordon, Duckett got himself into a tangle. He opened up his stance far too early and completely got wrong-footed. As a result, his body weight tilted more to the leg side, which effectively moved him away from the line of the ball. In the end, he could only manage to get a faint glove on it, giving Dhruv Jurel a regulation catch behind the stumps. 

See also: Twitter Reaction: India experience batting collapse at Oval

Watch the video:

Charge halted! 🔥#AkashDeep strikes as #BenDuckett falls trying to get cheeky, ending his aggressive knock! 💪🏻#ENGvIND 👉 5th TEST, DAY 2 | LIVE NOW on JioHotstar 👉 https://t.co/TY23MOyDXC pic.twitter.com/Z8dFP8kS01

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) August 1, 2025

Following Duckett's demise, Deep let his emotions run loose. After being belted for a few runs, Deep was in the mood to share his departing thoughts with the dismissed batter. He went and put his right arm around his shoulder. A brief animated exchange ensued between the two, where the two were seen having a chat with Deep, having a cheeky smile on his face. Although the exchange appeared to be friendly for the most part, the players did make physical contact. Jeff Crowe, the designated match referee for this game, must have had a close look at this encounter. 

Meanwhile, the on-field umpire Ahsan Raza wasn't too far away from the action. He quickly jumped into the scene and had a quiet word with the Indian pacer, following the brief encounter. Duckett's whirlwind 38-ball innings saw him smash five fours and two sixes. The 30-year-old certainly had an appetite to punish the Indian bowlers further, but was removed just at the right time by Deep, thus giving India some respite before lunch. 

By lunch, on day two, England find themselves in a very commanding position. Just 16 overs into the innings, the hosts have wiped out a deficit of 109 runs at the expense of just one wicket. At the time of writing, England still trail by another 115 runs with Crawley looking very composed on 52 (43).

Gus Atkinson’s hostile pace of bowling left India gasping for breath. India turned up on day two and started off proceedings on a promising score of 204-6. But an unprecedented burst from Atkinson, followed by his partner in crime, Josh Tongue, saw India capitulate well inside the first hour of the day’s play. Atkinson emerged as the standout performer, finishing as the most successful bowler for England with exemplary figures of 5-33.

On a surface that offered swing and variable bounce at times, Atkinson proved way too good for the Indian lower-order batters. The 27-year-old got the ball rolling by dismissing Washington Sundar off a well-directed short bumper. Atkinson dug in short and invited Sundar to go over the top. Sundar couldn’t resist his temptation and tried to take on the short ball in a bid to accumulate some quick runs. But unfortunately for him, the ploy backfired as he couldn’t keep the ball down and handed a regulation catch to Overton at deep square leg. This was also his first scalp of the day, too.

Besides, he did not allow the tailenders to linger around either. His next two wickets came in quick succession. Atkinson made Siraj play down the wrong line and deceived him with an unplayable inswinger to peg his off-stump back. A couple of balls later, Prasidh Krishna followed suit as he chased an outswinging delivery, which subsequently resulted in a faint outside edge. He was assisted by Tongue, who also maintained pressure from the other end and kept the Indian at bay with formidable figures of 3-57.

See also: Why are England players wearing headbands on Day 2 of ENG vs IND 5th Test at Kennington Oval?

WATCH: Atkinson puts on a show with a five-fer

Gus Atkinson AGAIN!

Siraj is gone and India are nine down.

🇮🇳 2️⃣2️⃣4️⃣-9️⃣ pic.twitter.com/w3imHVFmtO

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 1, 2025

Atkinson has made a resounding return to this format since his last appearance against Zimbabwe in May. Though he was amongst the wickets in that match, he didn’t quite have the same venom as he did in this game. Quite noticeably, his pace also erred on the slower side in that one-off test series against Zimbabwe.

The English quicks have completed a swift demolition job in the early hours of day two of the fifth test. As a result, India could only add 20-odd runs to their overnight score of 204. England’s response with the bat has been ferocious to say the least. At the time of writing, England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett have made life quite difficult for the Indian bowlers, plundering a breezy 59 inside seven overs without losing a single wicket.

The Oval Test is less than 24 hours away from beginning, which is a must-win game for India to save this away Test series, and it will be a remarkable result for the Indian cricket team. On the eve of the Test series decider, Indian Test captain Shubman Gill spoke about the availability of Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah for the crucial Test match.

The visitors India are trailing the five-match Test series in England (Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025) by 2-1 with one to go. The Oval Test will begin on Thursday (July 31), where England need to draw to win the series, and India must win the Test to save the series 2-2. 

Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah is the joint second leading wicket-taker in the ongoing Test series with 14 wickets in five innings, including two fifers. He has already played three Tests in this series, which was expected. Due to the workload management, while there isn't much gap between the end of the Manchester Test and the beginning of The Oval Test, Bumrah's availability is doubtful for the series decider.

Last day, ESPNcricinfo reported that Bumrah is likely to miss The Oval Test as the medical team felt that the Indian pacer needed to rest, considering his back and the long-term implications. 

We will take a decision tomorrow: Indian captain on Jasprit Bumrah's availability for The Oval Test

However, in the latest press conference, Indian captain Shubman Gill revealed that the decision on Bumrah's availability for The Oval Test will be decided on the matchday morning. As the wicket looks very green, the right-arm fast bowler's service is likely to be very crucial for the visitors, especially when the Test series is at stake. 

Gill said, “We will take a decision (on Bumrah) tomorrow; the wicket looks very green. So we will see how it turns out."

See Also: Ben Stokes rested as England announce their playing XI for ENG vs IND 5th Test

Arshdeep Singh has been asked to get ready: Shubman Gill

While the left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh is reportedly close to making his Test debut, the Indian skipper revealed that the pacer had been asked to get ready, and the final decision would be taken on matchday. 

The Indian Test captain added, "Arshdeep Singh has been asked to get ready, but we will take a call on the playing XI after looking at the pitch, by this evening. England haven’t picked a frontline spinner, we have Jadeja and Washi to do the job.”

While the visitors India are fighting to save the remarkable away Test series in England, they have a big setback in less than 48 hours before the beginning of the last Test of the five-match series against the hosts England. 

It is the five-match Test series between the hosts England and the visitors India, named the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025. England are currently leading the Test series by 2-1 with a match to go. The hosts won the first and third Tests of the series by five wickets (at Leeds) and 22 runs (at Lord's), respectively. Meanwhile, India won the second Test of the series by 336 runs at Edgbaston, while incredibly drew the fourth Test in Manchester to keep the series alive. 

Kennington Oval or The Oval in London will host the last Test of the series, starting on July 31. It will be the must-win fixture for India, who can only draw the Test series as their best possible result. Meanwhile, a draw in the upcoming Test will be enough for the hosts to win this Test. 

See Also: Who should play ENG vs IND 5th Test if Jasprit Bumrah does not play?

Jasprit Bumrah likely to miss The Oval Test

So, there is no doubt about the importance of The Oval Test for India, but the visitors have got a big blow, as the prime Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is reportedly set to miss the Test series decider. According to a recent ESPNcricinfo report, the BCCI medical team believes that the fast bowler should be rested, considering his back and the long-term implications. 

Before the start of the Test series, it was reported that Bumrah would be available for the first three Tests of the series, while he might miss the other two due to the need for a rapid recovery process. While the tireless Manchester Test ended on Sunday (July 27), the last Test of the series is set to begin on Thursday (July 31). Although Bumrah didn't need to bowl on Sunday, the BCCI medical team feels that the pacer needs more time to be available for a big Test match. 

Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025: Bumrah is joint second-most wicket-taker

Despite being rested from the Edgbaston Test, Bumrah is the joint second leading wicket-taker in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 with 14 wickets in five innings with an average of 26.00, including two fifers. 

According to an ESPNcricinfo report, Akash Deep is likely to replace Bumrah for The Oval Test. The Bengal pacer claimed a ten-wicket haul during the Edgbaston Test, where the visitors set a record-breaking win. He also featured in the Lord's Test but missed the Manchester Test due to an injury. 

Even before the beginning of the last Test of the thrilling ongoing five-match Test series, the controversy erupted after the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir and the chief curator of The Oval had a heated argument. Indian batting coach Sitanshu Kotak opened up about that incident. 

During a recent practice session, Gautam Gambhir and Lee Fortis, the chief curator of The Oval, had a heated argument. According to the Indian batting coach Kotak, the head coach wanted to look at the pitch from a closer angle while wearing joggers, but the curator didn't like that.

[WATCH] ENG vs IND 5th Test: Oval's Lee Fortis open up his side over controversy with Gautam Gambhir

We did nothing wrong: Indian batting coach

In the press conference, the Indian batting coach claimed, “When we were having a look at the wicket, they sent a man to tell us to stay 2.5 metres away from the pitch. We were wearing joggers.”

Understanding the curators' view, Kotak felt that the Indian team didn't do anything wrong in that situation to make it a heated moment. He added, “We know curators are possessive about the square. What he said about the head coach is his opinion and I don’t want to comment. But we did nothing wrong."

The way he spoke, it was a bit arrogant

Kotak felt that the chief curator was arrogant, for which the man is popular in world cricket. The Indian batting coach said, “You can be protective about the square, but not arrogant. It’s not an antique that you can’t touch. He said they were trying to grow grass, but we were in joggers so we didn’t see the problem. The way he spoke, it was a bit arrogant. Everyone knows the curator at The Oval is not the easiest person to deal with.”

Indian batting coach talking about the heated conversation between Gambhir and curator. pic.twitter.com/5hMd6LYTOV

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 29, 2025

The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, the five-match Test series between the hosts England and the visitors India, currently stands at 2-1 with the last Test yet to be played. The Oval in London will host the last Test, starting on August 31. It will be the must-win game for India only to draw the away series, while a draw will be enough for England to win this home Test series.  

India and England locked horns in yet another closely-contested test match at Old Trafford. The Test did not see a winner as it ended in a draw. But for the Indian fans, the draw can be seen more as a victory. It all started with Joe Root and Ben Stokes dominating the fragile Indian pace-bowling attack and amassing a galloping 669 runs.

At 0-2, England had India by the scruff of the neck. An imminent victory awaited the home side during the early hours of day four. But what followed was an act of defiance from Team India and their sheer determination to grind hard. As a result, India were able to drag the game till the final hour of day five with six wickets in the bank, before the England captain, frustratingly, settled for a draw.

India will draw inspiration from this encounter as they head to Kia Oval for the final Test with the series tilted at 2-1 in favor of the hosts. As the dust settles on this gripping Test, it is time to look at the revised World Test Championship 2025-27 points table.

See also: ENG vs IND 2025: Ravindra Jadeja celebrates hard-fought draw by kissing Manchester pitch

Updated WTC 2025-27 Rankings after Old Trafford Test

WTC 2025-27 Points Table 🏏📊 pic.twitter.com/tVCYVS1dN7

— CricketGully (@thecricketgully) July 28, 2025

After the end of the fourth Test, neither of the two teams have made any significant gains in the rankings. The hard-fought draw has certainly dented England’s ranking as they slip to the third position with a PCT of 54.17. India, on the other hand, have done well to hold on to the fourth spot for the time being but would want to see an improvement in their rankings following the end of the fifth Test. The 2021-2023 WTC finalists have a PCT of 33.33.

Australia are currently sitting at the points table following their annihilating 3-0 series sweep against a bruised West Indies. The 2023 WTC Champions have a PCT of 100 and are the only team, apart from Sri Lanka, to enjoy an unbeaten streak in this cycle. Second to them is the island nation of Sri Lanka, who have recently fared well during their home Test series against Bangladesh, beating them by 1-0.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh and the West Indies have played a few games already in this cycle and are yet to register a win. Besides, New Zealand, Pakistan, and the eventual 2023-2025 WTC Champions, South Africa, are yet to open their account in this ongoing WTC 2025-27 cycle.

Rishab Pant's courageous act with the willow in the recently concluded Manchester Test compelled Gautam Gambhir to issue a remark that many would deem as highly uncharacteristic of him. The Indian head coach usually refrains from talking about individual performances and often stresses the importance of performing as a team. But Pant's valiant effort, despite suffering a horrendous injury to his foot, made him deviate from his long-standing notion of the game.

Rishab Pant broke his foot while batting on the first day of the 4th Test while attempting an ambitious reverse-sweep against Chris Woakes, but returned to bat on the second day and scored a half-century. According to Gambhir, Pant has inspired the upcoming generation of cricketers by taking the field, and he believes that his selfless act has further redefined his mental toughness as a cricketer. 

See also: [WATCH] Controversy erupts as fan asked to hide Pakistan shirt during Old Trafford Test

Gambhir thanks Pant for inspiring the nation

Gambhir's remarks came to light in a stirring dressing room conversation, where he highlighted how his valiant effort has made him lead by example. 

“The foundation of this Test team will be based on what Rishabh you’ve done for this team," Pant said. “I hate talking about individuals. I’ve never spoken about individuals in a team sport. You’ve not only inspired this dressing room, but you’ve inspired the next generation. This is what you’ve done."

After sustaining an injury, Pant was immediately escorted off the ground in a golf-style buggy for further examination of his injury. Upon closer evaluation, it was discovered that the extent of Pant's injury was quite severe. Once the word circulated, very few had expected him to take the field on day two. But when wickets started to tumble, Pant made a surprise return and proved everyone wrong by walking in to bat again on day two. He continued to battle it out before being cleaned up by Archer on 54. 

On the back of three centuries from Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar, India were able to salvage a draw from a very unlikely situation. Thankfully, Pant did not have to bat again in the second innings, but he will not be seen in action going forward as he has been ruled out for the fifth Test. He has been replaced by N Jagadeesan in the squad. 

Team India defined all odds at Old Trafford to hold on to an unbelievable draw on the fifth day of the Test. Trailing by a monumental 311 runs and being two down for just 0 at the stroke of lunch, a massive innings defeat seemed to be on the cards for the visitors. But a gutsy 188-run stand between Shubman Gill and KL Rahul, followed by twin centuries from Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja, saved India from an embarrassing defeat. 

As the dust settles on this captivating Test, a very unsettling incident has come to light. During the course of the match, a spectator donning a traditional green-coloured Pakistani jersey was present at the ground. Under controversial circumstances, the fan was asked by the security officials to remove his country's cricket jersey. 

At first, he was confronted by an official who seemed to be of Indian-origin. The fan refused to remove his jersey, and as a result, things started to spiral out of control. Subsequently, more reinforcements from the security department followed suit in an effort to diffuse the simmering tension. In his defense, the fan argued that none of the Indian supporters who were at the ground had any problems with him wearing the green jersey. A few minutes later, the local police showed up and he was asked to have a brief chat outside the stadium before returning back. 

See also: 'The BCCI can't...'- BCCI sources reflect on India's participation in Ind vs Pak during Asia Cup 2025

Watch the video:

A spectator who attended the Test Match at Old Trafford was asked to cover up his Pakistan shirt.

pic.twitter.com/iAdtXUVmpF

— Cricketopia (@CricketopiaCom) July 28, 2025

As per the current regulations of the ground, only clothing related to England and India is permitted inside the stadium. Failure to comply with this rule could see a fan betting barred from entry. So the authorities were indeed right in asking him to remove the jersey. 

However, the issue is highly sensitive in nature. Both India and Pakistan are never far away from picking up a fight, be it on the field or off the field. The latest military standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbours has strained the relations even further. Mistrust and hatred have been at an all-time high.

Previously, the highly anticipated clash between India Champions and Pakistan Champions was called off due to off-field tensions and political differences. Now, the latest news of a Pakistani fan being asked to remove his country's jersey during India's game is bound to add more fuel to the fire.