Karun Nair finally returned to international cricket after more than eight years during the recently concluded five-match Test series in England (Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025), but it wasn't a dream run for him despite some of his impressive pictures. 

In 2016, Karun Nair scored a Test triple-century (303*), which was his only 30+ score in a Test innings, only 40+ score in international cricket before his return to international cricket in the recently concluded England tour. He got the deserved chances in the recently concluded series after his hard work in recent years, where he impressed with his consistent performances with the bat. 

Nair returned to Test cricket during the first Test of the England tour at Leeds, where he scored a duck in the first innings and scored 20 runs during India's second innings. In the next Test at Edgbaston, Nair scored 31 and 26 runs. In the Lord's Test, he scored 40 and 14. After he was dropped from the fourth Test at Old Trafford in Manchester, he returned to the Test series finale at The Oval, where he scored 57 and 17. He mostly impressed with his confident starts, but he hardly managed to capitalise on his starts. 

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It was not like I was trying to prove anything: Karun Nair

In a recent interview, Nair pointed out his failures despite getting starts in the England tour. He told PTI, “It was not like I was trying to prove anything. Sometimes you get starts in most of the games, and then you find a way to get out. That was the case for me in England."

Nair feels very frustrated to fail to make a big count on his good starts in the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, where the right-handed batter scored 205 runs in eight innings with an average of 25.62.

Nair added, “I was batting well throughout the series and getting into the 30s and 40s, but I just wasn’t able to push on. That was frustrating for me more than anyone else. I’ve been reflecting on why that was happening, why I kept getting out after getting set." 

By taking important suggestions, Nair is working hard to make improvements and not make the same mistakes in the upcoming matches.

Nair claimed, "The one lesson I’ve taken is to make sure I convert the starts I get. I’ve spoken to a lot of people about it and taken their suggestions. I’ll be working on it soon, so that the next time I get a start, I can convert it."

I am not thinking too far forward: Karun Nair

In October, India will host a Test series against the West Indies. Then, South Africa will travel to India for the Test and white-ball series in November. There are also two India A series against Australia A and South Africa A. Talking about his future goal, Nair isn't thinking much ahead; rather than he is much busier focusing on the present. 

Nair said, “I am not thinking too far forward. I am taking it day by day, working on my game and on the learnings from the last series. As time goes on, we will see what happens. For me, it’s about improving every single day — both in terms of skills and fitness.”

We just experienced an unforgettable Test series between the hosts England and the visitors India, the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025. It was the five-match Test series, where both teams never gave up without putting up their last fight, as the series ended in a 2-2 draw. Recently, former English cricketers Michael Atherton and Naseer Hussain spoke about the series and compared it to one of the greatest Test series the Ashes 2005. 

Ashes 2005 is a great example of Test cricket

Ashes 2005 is known as one of the greatest Test series in history, which the hosts England won by 2-1 to end their 16-year drought for the Ashes urn. It was a series of legends and high-quality battles in every moment. While it is hard to find a competitive Test series like the Ashes 2005, especially a long Test series, the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 has impressed many cricket experts.

See Also: "....is a massive shot in the arm....": Sunil Gavaskar reacts after Shubman Gill set for Duleep Trophy

England vs India Test series 2025: Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025

In the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, both England and India gave everything for the series. Those battles were so intense that the injured cricketers Rishabh Pant and Chris Woakes couldn't put themselves out of the game. 

Former English captain Naseer Hussain recently asked his long-time Test teammate Michael Atherton, where the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 could challenge the Ashes 2005, which some have felt. In reply, Atherton refused to agree on it, but he also said that the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 would be one of the best series since the Ashes 2005. Atherton further added that the Ashes 2005 was a higher quality Test series, which can't be compared easily. 

Atherton said on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, "No, I don't think the quality was as good as 2005. I don't think I'll see a better series than the 2005 Ashes. I just think one team on the rise, one great team on the decline, an emerging team, absolutely great players at the top of their game. But I think probably the best series since '05. I mean, the 2023 Ashes was a fantastic Ashes, wasn't it? But I probably put this one as the best series since 2005 because of those dramatic moments like Woakes and Rishabh Pant and the way the series twisted and turned. So I reckon probably the best series that I've covered since '05."

Nasser and Athers debate whether the recent England vs India series was as good as The 2005 Ashes? 💭 pic.twitter.com/zdnzqvBb6q

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 13, 2025

Mohammed Siraj produced a spell for the ages at The Oval, claiming five wickets in the second innings to power India to a dramatic six-run victory over England in the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy Test series. The 31-year-old pacer finished as the leading wicket-taker of the series with 23 scalps, earning the Player of the Match award and helping India square the five-match battle 2–2.

The final day began with India needing four wickets and England requiring just 35 runs. The hosts gained early momentum when Jamie Overton cracked two boundaries off Prasidh Krishna’s opening deliveries. But Siraj quickly tilted the contest in India’s favour, removing Jamie Smith in his first over of the day. He then snared two more vital wickets, including the decisive dismissal of Gus Atkinson with a perfectly executed yorker when England were just seven runs short of the target.

Even ICC Elite Panel umpire Kumar Dharmasena was captivated, sharing a photograph of Siraj’s match-winning ball on Instagram with the caption: “So lucky to witness this ball from the best seat in the house.”

The victory was particularly satisfying for Siraj after the disappointment of the Lord’s Test, where a freak incident saw the ball roll back onto his stumps. His outstanding series has now propelled him to 15th place in the ICC Test Bowling Rankings.

From Dropped Catch to Match Winner – Siraj’s Grit Defines India’s Triumph at The Oval

Siraj’s performance at The Oval was not without its hurdles. On Day 4, he dropped Harry Brook near the boundary ropes, a reprieve that allowed the England batter to go on and score 111. Brook and Joe Root’s 195-run stand for the fourth wicket had put England firmly in control in their chase of 374. Yet, Siraj’s resilience shone through, leading the Indian attack in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and delivering under pressure.

Kumar Dharmasena's Instagram post for the Iconic Oval Test. 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/SUU9AHNZLk

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 12, 2025

His influence wasn’t limited to The Oval. In the Edgbaston Test, India’s most dominant win of the series by 336 runs, Siraj took six wickets in the first innings to set the tone. The pacer marked his Oval triumph with a Cristiano Ronaldo-style celebration after taking the final wicket, capping off a nine-wicket haul in the match. His relentless accuracy, ability to move the ball, and knack for breaking partnerships underlined his growing stature as India’s pace spearhead.

In a series where conditions demanded skill and patience, Siraj emerged as India’s workhorse, a bowler who could be trusted with the ball when the game hung in the balance. This tour may well be remembered as the moment Mohammed Siraj fully arrived as a world-class Test fast bowler.

India's newly-appointed Test skipper Shubman Gill is in the form of his life. As a young captain for Team India, he couldn't have asked for a better start to his international test career. Following a historic 2-2 series draw at the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy, Gill is never really far away from making headlines. For a change, the recent surge in his popularity this time around does not have to do with his on-field exploits but his prestigious white jersey, which he donned during the epic Lord's Test. 

In the recently concluded 'Red For Ruth' charity auction, Gill signed and match-worn India Test jersey from the third Test of the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy was sold for a galloping 5.41 lakh (around £4,600), becoming the most expensive Indian item to be sold in the Red For Ruth charity auction in 2025. The jersey was unwashed and sold as is, with visible signs of wear, and was classified as a rare item in the auction. 

See also: "I have made..."- Karun Nair reveals his best moment from England vs India 2025 Test series

Gill's signed Test jersey becomes the costliest buy in the Red For Ruth charity auction

Shubman Gill's Lord's Test jersey fetched 5.41 Lakhs at the 'Red For Ruth' charity auction. 👏 pic.twitter.com/E1em7mgoX6

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) August 10, 2025

Meanwhile, other Indian jerseys were also put on sale and attracted competitive bids, but nowhere close to Gill's. Signed jerseys from Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja fetched £4,200 (Rs 4.94 lakh) each, while KL Rahul's jersey went for worth £4,000 (Rs 4.70 lakh). The Indian players were not alone. The England camp also made their presence felt in the Red For Ruth charity auction. Joe Root's autographed jersey fetched £3,800 (Rs 4.47 lakh), whereas captain Ben Stokes' was sold for £3,400 (Rs 4 lakh). Among the signed caps, Root's were the most desirable, achieving £3,000 (Rs 3.52 lakh).

The massive hype and craze around Shubman Gill's autographed jersey is a true reflection of how the young batter has redefined his legacy over the years. In the challenging England tour, Gill not only endured a stellar run with the bat, which saw him score at an average of 75.4, but also led his side valiantly, unlike his predecessors, who had a reputation for faltering in such testing conditions. 

The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 ended in thrilling fashion as India defeated England by six runs in a breathtaking final-day finish at The Oval. With the five-match series tied at 2-2, cricket fans were treated to spectacular drama, emerging stars, and defining moments of their careers. Following the conclusion, Wisden has announced its combined Team of the Series featuring names that crossed over from both squads and left their mark as astounding players. 

With that, KL Rahul and Ben Duckett will feature as openers. Rahul proved invaluable with 532 runs and gave experience and stability at the first wicket, while Duckett was aggressive and prolific during the series, specifically with his match-winning 149 during the Headingley Test, which made him a must-select for Wisden.

Joe Root, who finished the series with 537 runs and three centuries, was another easy pick at No. 3 for Wisden, while Shubman Gill's 376 runs at an average of 94 were astonishing, including four hundreds, making him the top run-scorer of the series, and caught people's notice as a rising star in world cricket.

Pant shines on return, Jadeja and Stokes impress, Siraj leads the bowling attack

After returning from injury to score 479 runs across four matches, Rishabh Pant is taking the gloves again. His positive style of play and match-winning innings were valuable in really close games. After Pant, all-rounders, Ravindra Jadeja and Ben Stokes followed. Jadeja's batting was reliable in the lower order while Stokes was more than decent with the ball (17 wickets) and scored one hundred in Manchester prior to injury and no participation in the last Test. 

ALSO SEE: Watch: Back-to-back 6s, unnecessary act dragged Digvesh Rathi into trouble

Washington Sundar played an important role in the lower order, with Washington scoring 1st Test hundred and 7 wickets. Washington added more depth to India's batting line-up. The pace attack was comprised of Jofra Archer, back to red ball cricket with nine wickets in two matches, Jasprit Bumrah, who always made early strikes in all his matches, and Mohammed Siraj, who topped the wicket-taking list with 23 wickets in the series, including his series-clinching spell at The Oval.

Wisden Team of the Series - Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025: KL Rahul, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Ben Stokes, Washington Sundar, Jofra Archer, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj.

The recently concluded England tour was one of the memorable and successful tours for the Indian opener KL Rahul, where he played a dependable top-order role for his team. While the fifth Test at The Oval ended in a tense situation, Rahul showed his incredible calmness by revealing his incredible football skills on the field on the final day of the series decider. 

The fifth day of The Oval Test is unforgettable, which started with the targets of 35 runs for the hosts England and four wickets for the visitors India to claim a victory. To save the Test series, it was a must-win game for India. Indian pacers Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna both brought their desperate skills and clinched India's narrowest Test win (by runs) after winning by six runs. 

[WATCH] Relive Stuart Broad's special bowling figures of 8/15 during Ashes 2015

Watch KL Rahul's impressive football skills

During that completely tense final day of the series, where every ball was vital, and people couldn't leave their seats, Indian cricketer KL Rahul showed his football skills. After Gus Atkinson guided a delivery back of the wicket, Rahul charged on the ball while the batter had no intention to run. In that comfortable situation, Rahul picked the ball with his right foot and juggled it multiple times impressively before throwing the ball.   

Fans enjoyed it very well, while some were also shocked to see a great hidden skill from the dependable top-order Indian batter. Although Rahul has been seen to play football multiple times previously, these skills were too impressive.

KL Rahul with his football skills. 😄 pic.twitter.com/05r8VcYqXh

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) August 6, 2025

KL Rahul was a star in Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025

While the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 ended in a 2-2 series line, Indian cricketer KL Rahul finished as the third leading run-scorer. The right-handed opening batter scored 532 runs in 10 innings with an average of 53.20, including two centuries and two half-centuries. For multiple times in the series, he set a confident base in the Indian innings. He also finished the series with the most catches for India (joint second most catches in the series) with six catches. 

Mohammed Siraj's journey in the recently concluded high-voltage Anderson Tendulkar Trophy has been a tale of redemption. From the heartbreak at the Lord's, which saw him getting undone in one of the most unfortunate ways, to making India roar back to life in the Oval Test despite giving Harry Brook a huge let-off, his journey has surely inspired billions around the world. In the absence of star pacer Jasprit Bumrah, Siraj bowled his heart out, bowling a marathon 186 overs and ended up excelling far better than the no. 1-ranked test bowler, by concluding the series with 23 wickets. 

Although India did not end up winning the series, Siraj certainly gave England a good run for their money. As Ryan ten Doeschate described him, Siraj's lion-hearted hostile spell of bowling kept England batters in check and provided India with timely dismissals. And let's not forget, Siraj gave Brook a huge lifeline when he was batting at the Kia Oval on 19. He knew that another heartbreak was certainly on the cards. But when he got the ball in hand, he seized the opportunity and teamed up with Prasidh Krishna to wind up the English tail in one of the most unbelievable fashion.

See also: 'I wish I didn't...'- Harry Brook reflects on his poor decision during ENG vs IND 5th Test at Kennington Oval

Siraj's heroic show obliterates England in the Kia Oval Test

After miraculously drawing the Manchester Test from an unlikely situation, the team turned up once again, this time at the Kia Oval, with a vision to save the series. Bumrah opted to rest, citing workload management issues, which meant all the onus was back on Siraj once again. He had to spearhead the raw Indian pace attack with Prasidh and Akash Deep in the ranks. 

And so he did. After India were bundled out for 224, the Indian quicks took a bit of pounding at the hands of Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley early doors. The English duo were dismissive in their approach and registered a rapid 92-run stand for the first wicket inside the 11th over. A comeback from that point seemed unthinkable, but Siraj proved everyone wrong. He teamed up with Krishna and helped India stage a spirited fightback. Although there was some reckless shot selection on England's part, Siraj kept his intensity up,  taking crucial scalps at key stages of the game to disrupt England's momentum. In the end, the pair finished with a combined tally of eight wickets with Siraj picking up the final wicket of Brook to prevent England from eking out a massive first innings lead. 

Moving on to England's second innings, Siraj found himself becoming the talk of the town, but for all the wrong reasons. He straight away made headlines when he put down Brook near the fine leg boundary while he was batting on only 19. A player of such calibre cashed in and made India pay as he, along with Root, scripted a monumental 195-run stand to virtually bat India out of the game.

But the end of the partnership gave England a momentary setback, and that is when Siraj found a window of opportunity to make the necessary amends.  When the chips were down, Siraj made a last-ditch effort to make up for his huge blunder, and his moment came on the fifth day of the final test. As soon as the second new ball was handed over to him, it was curtains for England.  He left no stone unturned and launched a scathing attack, along with Prasidh, to suffocate England's lower order. 

The 31-year-old got the ball rolling by having the in-form Jamie Smith fend at a widish delivery, which zipped through off the surface and brushed the outside edge of his bat. A couple of overs later, he cleaned up Josh Tongue with an absolute beauty, pegging his middle stump back.  Then came the big moment of redemption, which truly redefined his aura and legacy. Under immense pressure, Siraj nailed a perfect yorker against a threatening Gus Atkinson, who tried to heave across the line but was completely undone by the sheer brilliance of that delivery. His demise brought an end to the match, and England agonizingly fell short by six runs. 

Relive the glorious moment here:

🏏 siraj you beauty I can't believe still but you did you made this a greatest comback

Now I only believe in dsp siraj 🔥🔥every indian is proud of you #MohammedSiraj #INDvsENG#OvalTest #ENGvIND

pic.twitter.com/IOJDYMZpOO

— Hindustan (@InsideHindustan) August 4, 2025

Siraj has more overseas Test wickets than Bumrah 

Prior to the start of the series, it was believed that Bumrah would be the one who would play the role of an aggressor and do the bulk of the heavy lifting with the ball, while Siraj would play the second fiddle. But surprisingly, it panned out to be the exact opposite. Contrary to the beliefs that were held at the start, Bumrah could not come close to replicating the wonders of Siraj. Though he starred with a five-fer in the Headingly test, it was Siraj and his exploits that helped India win matches.

In fact, as astonishing as it may sound, India never secured a single victory in a game in which Bumrah was a part of. After walking away triumphantly with 23 wickets to his tally, Siraj has now bettered his overseas figures and has gone past Bumrah (102) to become the highest overseas wicket-taker (104) in the Test format. 

It was a series that had it all! Drama, controversies, close encounters, individual brilliance, you name it. Siraj has certainly given his fan base a lot to cheer about, and as he walks away as a hero, one thing stands out. The Indian pace attack will no longer be overly reliant on the services of Bumrah alone, and it is about time that the Indian management gives him the attention he needs to hone his skills further in the longest format.

India made a miraculous comeback out of nowhere in the Kia Oval Test to salvage a hard-fought 2-2 series draw against England. For a new Test side that is currently undergoing transition under the new leadership of Shubman Gill, this monumental effort from them has certainly bolstered India's legacy and positioning in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.

On the final day of the fifth Test, India pulled off a comeback for the ages and turned the tables on England to emerge victorious in the final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series. In a nail-biting thriller, Mohammed Siraj, who had been hard done by on a number of occasions throughout the course of the series, held his nerves and crushed the hosts by a magnificent five-fer to hand India a narrow six-run victory.

This series has helped India uncover some unprecedented positives. From Gill's supremacy as a red-ball skipper to Siraj's extraordinary resilience with the ball, the list goes on. But in this article, we will dig in to explore India's top three positives from the recently concluded England test tour, which will certainly hold them in good stead for years to come.

See also: ‘No one will be going to bed crying’- England Skipper Shrugs Off Heated Moments in Intense 2025 ENG vs IND Test Series

Gill establishes himself as a resilient red-ball skipper

Speaking of revelations from this historic Test tour, Shubman Gill's name comes at the top. The young Indian captain fared exceptionally well in his maiden Test assignment for India. Although India did not manage to get their hands on the prestigious Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Gill has certainly achieved what his earlier predecessors had failed to achieve in the prior Test tours to England. Bold personalities such as Ms Dhoni and Virat Kohli captained the Indian side in the 2014 and 2018 Test series, but without any success as India went on to register crushing defeats.

But Gill has certainly done his team and his country proud by salvaging a hard-fought series draw in a country that has traditionally been hostile to the visiting teams. Although he was heavily criticised for his tactics during the Manchester test, which allowed England to cruise to a comfortable 669, he did not allow the criticism to affect his composure. And when the deciding Test arrived, Gill silenced his critics by helping India snatch a near-impossible victory from England's hands. Keeping his leadership skills aside, Gill also let his willow do the talking and finished as the highest run scorer of the Test series. In 10 innings, the 26-year-old accumulated a record 754 runs and, by doing so, he came agonizingly close to eclipsing the legendary Sunil Gavaskar's record of scoring the most Test runs as an Indian captain in England.

More bowling resources apart from Bumrah

Indian ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah's availability was certainly the talk of the town ahead of the series. It was understood that Bumrah would only feature in three out of the five Test matches, citing workload management. Concerns began pouring in as soon as the world spread. On helpful seam-friendly decks, Bumrah's position in the team was seen as indispensable, and keeping him out of the team for even a single game seemed unthinkable. But thankfully, India's raw pace-bowling attack came good in the absence of Bumrah.

In fact, India did not go on to win a single game in which Bumrah participated. This goes to show that India's overdependence on Bumrah for away tours has subsided, and for very good reasons. He may have the X-factor like no other bowler in the world, but the other rookie Indian pacers have shown how it is done. In his absence, Siraj spearheaded the young Indian pace attack and led them valiantly. The Hyderabad-born pacer ended up having a dream series, finishing as the highest-wicket taker.

Apart from Siraj, Prasidh Krishna turned out to be another class act with the ball. Both Krishna and Siraj put on a fiery exhibition with the ball to sink England on the final day of the Test series in emphatic fashion. Besides, Siraj and Prasidh, Akash Deep has also shown signs of promise, though he will need to work more on mastering his exploits with the old ball to preserve his longevity in the longest format.

Reliable middle order

If there is something that would please Gautam Gambhir & Co. the most is the fact that the Indian middle order ended the tour in a dominating fashion. Unlike previous Test tours, India's middle order showed very few to no signs of vulnerability. The likes of Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja were not only amongst the wickets but were also amongst the runs. Jadeja batted like a frontline batter and churned 516 runs at an unbelievable average of 87, which includes his match-saving century of 107*. He also played a useful role with the ball, finishing with the best figures of 4-143, though his average understandably remained on the higher side due to the lack of assistance he received from the pitches.

Sundar, who comes in to replace the shoes of great Ravi Ashwin, also made a stellar all-round impact. His heroic contribution with the bat certainly did not go unnoticed. With the bat, he averaged nearly 47 and was responsible for forging a match-saving stand with Jadeja in Manchester, which kept the series alive for the visitors. Then, in the deciding fifth test, Sundar put on a show by adding 39 precious runs for the last wicket to help India get to a fighting target. His late assault during the dying phases of India's second innings proved to be a decisive moment in the game as England fell short by only 6 runs.

India will certainly take pride in what they have achieved from the England tour. This is also India's second draw since the 2021-22 test series. Despite an insane thriller at the Kia Oval, the wait for their maiden Test series win in England still continues to linger on since their 2007 series triumph.

A fiercely contested Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series ended in a 2-2 stalemate as England were forced to share the trophy with India. Though the series did not see a winner, the visiting Indian team will certainly see this as a moral victory. England, on the other hand, would be gutted to see the series slip away in such a manner.

The fifth Test at the Oval ended in utter heartbreak for England. Despite individual brilliance from Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, and Gus Atkinson throughout the course of the series, England fell short in the deciding Test as Mohammed Siraj pulled off a miraculous performance to snatch victory from the hosts.

Even after having India by the scruff of their neck for the most part, England committed some costly blunders in key passages of the game, which eventually denied them a guaranteed victory in the final Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy test. Let's unravel the top three mistakes that resulted in the undoing of England in perhaps one of the most thrilling Test matches of all time.

See also: 'You asked...'- Mohammed Siraj reacts to Dale Steyn's prophecy of ENG vs IND 5th Test

Reckless shot selection in the first innings

England's counter-attacking style of batting, famously dubbed "Bazball," has revolutionized their batting strength in the longest format. Not only does it bring endless entertainment to the viewers, but it also does wonders for the English team and helps them escape tricky situations. But in the fifth test, their uncalled aggression with the bat did not go down so well as England failed to achieve a significant first innings lead.  During the 11th over, England were flying high as Crawley and Duckett gave England an explosive start. On a juicy seam-friendly wicket, the duo smashed an electrifying 92 to rattle the visitors.

Although the latter was eventually dismissed, England still had a solid grip on the game, leading into lunch. But out of nowhere, the incoming English batters tried to flick the switch, even after getting such a rapid start. As a result, they ran into the risk of playing high-risk shots, and eventually played into the hands of the Indian quicks. Prasidh and Siraj were able to get enough assistance off the surface to trouble the English batters. The rest of the English batting unit failed to respect the conditions, and in an effort to counter-attack the Indian pacers, they kept losing wickets at key intervals, which significantly hampered their ability to achieve a match-defining first-innings lead.

Poor catching in the second innings

There is an age-old saying in cricket that says "Catches win matches". England certainly missed a trick by not holding on to their catches well. Throughout the series, England's fielding standards had been ordinary. But it's their catching woes that came back to haunt them big time in the final Test. It all took a turn for the worse during India's second innings in the fifth test.  If numbers are to be believed, England dropped more than 10 catches in the final Test; at least six of them were from India's second innings.

Yashasvi Jaiswal was given a life twice, which allowed him to cruise to a sensational Test century. India's nightwatchman, Akash Deep, who was not meant to hang around for too long, was also given a life by the slip fielders. Deep was given a lucky reprieve, just after a closely challenged DRS, and as fate would have it, England allowed him to register his maiden fifty in Test cricket. Their struggles continued further as Nair was also put down in the slips.

But unlike others, the Karnataka-born batter could not fail to cash in further. These costly drops resulted in India eking out precious runs. England's poor fielding was perhaps the most decisive factor for their defeat in the final Test. If those catches had not been dropped by Crawley in the slips, India's first innings lead wouldn't have grown to such an exponential figure, and the target could have been chased down without major hiccups.

Overhead conditions playing to India's advantage on day four

Just when it appeared the doors were shutting down on India, the weather gods came to their rescue at the Kia Oval. Thanks to the gloomy overhead conditions, the Indian quicks were able to stage a last-ditch effort to salvage the series. Brook and Root's robust 195-run stand had nearly sealed the game for England, but they were still a few runs away from victory. Brook gave his wicket away against the run of play, just before the tea break, but with an in-form Root and Bethell at the crease, the foundation was set.

Like always, the case in England, the weather played its part. On day four, England went into the tea break with six wickets in hand. The hosts needed only 70-odd runs to clinch the series 3-1. The second new ball was still 15 overs or so away, and England seemed to be closing in pretty fast. India, who were in dire need of a miracle, were graced by the timely arrival of scattered rain during the break. Although it was just a minor sprinkle in the air, it certainly made conditions conducive for the Indian quicks. And by the time the players took the field, the skies above had already turned grey. All of a sudden, the old ball started nipping all around the place.

Bethell and Root struggled to rotate the strike and were totally thrown off guard by the moving ball. Prasidh made the most of these conditions, sending Bethell and Root back in the hut in no time to get India back in the contest. Although day four came to an abrupt ending due to bad light, followed by rain, the wheels were already set in motion as India had already gained the much-needed momentum to outclass England on the final day of the Test series.

India clinched a thrilling victory in the fifth and final Test at The Oval by just six runs, leveling the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 series 2-2. KL Rahul, one of India’s senior-most players in the squad, reflected emotionally on the importance of the win. “Win means absolutely everything,” he said when asked by former cricketer Dinesh Karthik what the result meant to him. “I’ve played cricket for years. Won the Champions Trophy, seen the team lift the World Cup—of course nothing compares to winning the World Cup.”

India entered Day 5 needing to defend just 35 runs with four wickets remaining. Without Jasprit Bumrah, it was Mohammed Siraj who stepped up, claiming five wickets in the second innings to guide India home. Despite the series ending in a draw, Rahul called the tour “one of the highlights of Indian cricket,” emphasizing the significance of the final-day effort from a largely inexperienced squad.

Reflecting on the absence of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and R Ashwin, who all retired earlier this year, Rahul admitted it was a strange feeling. “Yes, it hit me when I joined the team,” he said. “I was here about two weeks earlier playing for India A, and it didn't hit me back then, but once I joined the team and I looked around, I didn't have a Rohit, a Virat, or an Ashwin.”

KL Rahul steps up as senior in young Indian side

Rahul acknowledged the new role he had taken on in the team, as the youngsters around him looked up to him for advice and leadership. “That's when it hit me that everyone else is looking at me, coming to me to ask about English conditions, what they need to do, and how they need to prepare,” he said. “It’s time for me to help the younger guys, use all the experience I've had... and really put my hand up.”

Watch the video here

"It's time for me to help the younger guys" 🧠

KL Rahul on his role within the India side 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/ZJWi7yk1hP

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 4, 2025

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On a personal note, Rahul expressed satisfaction with his individual performance, scoring 532 runs in ten innings at an average of 53.20 — third-highest in the series. “The most important thing is for the openers to give the team a solid start… I was really focused and really wanted the series to go well for me.”