The roar of Ben Stokes perhaps will never fade away. On August 25, 2019, Stokes accomplished an utmost difficult task to snatch a win in Leeds against their arch rivals, Australia. From losing all wickets for 67 runs in the first innings to then successfully chasing down a target of 359 in the final innings, these all happened in the match. The match will be remembered for ages because of Ben Stokes' heroics. 

Australian bowlers stunned the entire cricket nation when they folded England's first innings for only 67 runs in the first innings. Joe Denly (12) was the only batter for England who got an individual double-digit run in the innings. Josh Hazlewood got 5 wickets, 3 wickets for Pat Cummins, and a brace for James Pattinson.

The fresh track of Leeds heavily tested the Australian batting lineup too. Before England's batting collapse, Australia, in their first innings, registered only 179 for wickets. England's 10 wickets falling for 67 allowed Australia to take a healthy lead to claim the match. The track was still helping the pacers but started to decrease gradually as it was getting old. In the second innings, Marnus Labuschagne scored 80 runs, and multiple notable innings from his teammates took Australia to 246 before the dismissal of the 10th wicket. With those 246 runs and the first-innings lead, England got a target of 359 to win the match, which seemed beyond their reach at that point. 

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The echoing roar by Stokes 

After losing their openers early, then the captain of England, Joe Root, and Joe Denly got 77- and 55-run innings, respectively. Jonny Bairstow went for 36. After that, the matter went on the shoulders of Stokes. He faced 219 balls, watched other batters come and go, with a pair of tired legs, and scored a historic 135-run inning. The number 11 batter, Jack Leach, was somehow able to hang on with Stokes and face 17 balls.

In the meantime, Nathan Lyon missed an easy chance to run out Leach; if he managed to hit the bail, the match would be over, and Australia could win the match. But, it was the day for Stokes and England; despite all the endeavors, they emerged victorious with Ben Stokes as the best player of the match.

August 24, 1971—a historic day for Indian cricket. It was the first time Team India won a match in England. By winning the Test match at The Oval, Ajit Wadekar and his boys concluded England's long-standing undefeated streak.

The home team under Ray Illingworth's captaincy tried hard to defend the target of 173 runs. Until the last moment of the game, the captain himself bowled tightly and maintained challenging field sets on a slow, turning track. To chase down the target, India had a day and a half in their hand. Despite losing multiple top-order batters early in the second innings, they were able to write history in England.

Before the second innings, England was the frontrunner to win the competition, as they registered 355 runs on the scoreboard batting first. Alan Knott scored 90, and eighty-plus scores from John Jameson and Richard Hutton worked as the primary catalyst for the England cricket team. India, in their first innings, scored only 284 and allowed the host to maintain a lead. Farokh Engineer and Dilip Sardesai bagged half-centuries during this phase of the match.

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England fought bravely till the end

The bowling department of India shifted the momentum of the match in the second innings when England bowled out for only 101 runs. Bhagwath Chandrasekhar emerged as the wrecker-in-chief by taking 6 wickets in the second innings to go with the first innings' 2 wickets. During the decisive essay of the game, England quickly got the wickets of Sunil Gavaskar and Ashok Mankad. Their economical bowling made India's task harder to get the target total.

Ajit Wadekar (45) and Dilip Sardesai (40) remained firm on the tricky surface and helped India to overcome the early setbacks. Gundappa Viswanath and Farokh Engineer did the rest of the job to confirm India's first win on English soil. 

India bounced back in style after going down 2-0 in the Test series against England. On August 22, 2018, captained by Virat Kohli, India baffled England at The Oval. Virat scored a century, Jasprit Bumrah took 5, and a pure team game from the visiting side decided the result of the match. Jos Buttler tried hard and batted brilliantly, but it was not enough to compete with a counter-attacking India. 

The match could have ended in a draw if the England cricket team had somehow been able to protect their wickets on the last day of the match. The firing of Jasprit Bumrah led the Indian bowling lineup to let down all of England's hope to save the match.

In the second innings of the game, while the home team was chasing a target of 521 runs, Bumrah claimed 5 wickets, and Ishant Sharma claimed a brace. A partnership between Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler came as the only barrier for Indian bowlers to overcome. After the 80th over of the innings, when India started to deliver with the new ball, Buttler was unable to stand against Bumrah. He departed for a well-made 106 off 176. Stokes went to the dugout 3 overs after Butter's dismissal.

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India dominated in both innings 

During England's first innings, Hardik Pandya was in full flow. Before Bumrah took 5, it was Pandya who pushed the host behind by taking 5 wickets. Two other pacers, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami, were also in effect at The Oval. Virat Kohli was selected as the best player of the match, as he batted brilliantly in both innings. In the first phase, he struck 97, and then in the second innings, the skipper of India scored 103 runs.

On their second innings, when the pitch looked slightly old, Indian batters performed more swiftly. Apart from Kohli's century, Cheteshwar Pujara and Hardik Pandya got their individual fifty-plus runs to help India set a target of 521, which was more than enough to outclass Joe Root-led England. 

On August 16, 2021, India pulled off a last-day stunning victory against England at the Lord's cricket ground. Indian pace bowling was on fire on the 5th day of the Test match. Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ishant Sharma broke down England's batting order and confirmed a win by 151 runs.

On the final day of the match, the home team could get only 120 runs on the scoreboard before losing all of their 10 wickets. Siraj in the innings took 4 wickets, Bumrah bagged 3, Sharma got 2, and Mohammed Shami got 1 scalp with his name. Before the second innings, England was in the front seat, though the difference between the two teams was not huge.

The ultimate result may hint that it was a one-sided game, but actually, the match was balanced nicely. KL Rahul emerged as the star batter for India with his first innings of 129 off 250. Rohit Sharma scored 83 in the phase of the match. With the help of these two openers, India, batting first, registered 364 on the scorecard. James Anderson, in the innings, bagged 5 scalps. The host replied strongly as then their skipper Joe Root played an unbeaten 180-run innings supported by Jonny Bairstow's 57.

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Team India shifted the momentum by 180 degree 

Like in the second innings, in the first innings of the match too, Indian pacers were at the top of their game. Siraj claimed 4, Ishant took 3, and Shami clinched two batters from the crease. During the second innings, Shami and Bumrah surprisingly scored an unbeaten 56 and an unbeaten 34 runs, respectively, and helped India to take the lead of 271 runs, which England was unable to get. They bundled for only 120 while chasing the target, and India got a stunning victory at the iconic ground.

About the win, the captain of India, Virat Kohli, said, "Super proud of the whole team; the way we stuck to our plans and being out in our performance with the bat was outstanding... the way we played in the second innings, under pressure, from Jasprit and Shami was outstanding."

Every captain has their own way to manage the team. Man management is a major task for any leader of a team. Shubman Gill got his Test captaincy just before the crucial Anderson-Tendulkar trophy, as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli both retired from the format.

At the age of only 25, how Gill could manage the team and his individual performance were two major concerns of cricket fraternities. Gill did both with precision. With a newly formed team, India leveled the 5-match series 2-2 in a heroic manner. A few days after the conclusion of the Test series against England, Karun Nair shared an on-field incident that reflects the persona of Shubman Gill as a captain. During a conversation, Nair said that he mostly filed in the first slip position. When Gill asked him to stand somewhere else, Nair felt nervous. He informed Gill, and he took immediate action. Shubman himself took over the third slip duty on his own and left the first slip position to Nair.

"I have always fielded in the first slip position—I had requested Shubman if I could stand there in England. He left the position to me and moved to the third slip himself," Karun Nair said during a conversation. 

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Nair played a pivotal role in England 

The retirements of Sharma and Kohli opened the door for Nair to make a long-awaited comeback in the Test setup. The England tour for Nair was filled with ups and downs. He played 4 out of 5 matches during the series and was dropped once for not performing up to expectations. 

After missing the Old Trafford Test, the batter bounced back strongly with a fifty-plus score at The Oval, which was the fifth and the series decider game. When India was struggling in the first innings of the match, Nair made a well-fought 57-run innings. Before that, at The Lord's cricket ground, his first 40-run innings came at a crucial time.

Days after the Oval Test and the conclusion of the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy, Indian cricketers are thrilled to remember every inch of the contest filled with multiple intense moments. One of the most talked about moments of the series emerged when England skipper Ben Stokes proposed to Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar to settle the fourth Test as a draw. Sundar described the incident as the positive catalyst behind their heroics during the series decider game.

When Stokes went for a handshake to settle the match, Jadeja and Sundar were approaching their hundreds. Jadeja denied the handshake and the proposal to draw without completing the match. The straight forward refusal did not work well for Stokes, as he replied to Jadeja, "Do you want to score a century against Harry Brook?" The controversial incident sparked Team India's craving to level the series. 

"We've seen a lot of such things happen, not just in cricket, but in any sport. I mean, that's how sport is. It brings out a lot. I think it was just an experience for all of us, honestly," Sundar said.

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Sundar talked about mental preparations as well

Sundar further added, "Especially in Test cricket, you want to be challenged because that's exactly what you expect every single day. And when the situation gets tough, the only thing that will help you get over it and come out successful is being really tough in your head." 

The fourth test of the five-match series ended in a draw. England, in their first innings, scored 669 runs in reply to India's 358 runs. The home team was looking in a comfortable position to conceal the match and the series as well. But centuries from Captain Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar shaped The Oval Test as the series decider. On Day 5 of the fifth Test, England needed only 35 runs to win the match and the series but had only four wickets in hand. With the help of Mohammed and Prasidh Krishna, the men in blue stunned the home team and made the scoreline 2-2. 

India’s Test captain Shubman Gill has capped off a sensational debut series as skipper by being named ICC Men’s Player of the Month for July 2025, becoming the first male cricketer to win the award four times. Gill’s heroics in the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy against England saw him edge past England captain Ben Stokes and South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder for the honour.

The 25-year-old produced a staggering 567 runs at an average of 94.50 across three Tests in July, including a monumental double hundred and two centuries. His match-defining performances helped India script a famous 2–2 series draw away from home.

“This time it holds a lot more significance since it has come for my performances during my first Test series as captain,” Gill said. “The double ton in Birmingham is something I will cherish forever. The series was a learning curve for me as captain, and I’m proud of the way we fought back.”

Records Tumble in Birmingham

Gill’s crowning moment came in the second Test at Edgbaston, where he scored 269 in the first innings and followed it up with 161 in the second. His 430-run aggregate in the match is the second-highest in Test history, only behind Graham Gooch’s 456.

The Birmingham masterclass saw Gill:

• Become the first Indian captain to score a Test double century in England.
• Register the highest Test score by an Indian in England, surpassing Sunil Gavaskar’s 221 in 1979.
• Break Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the highest overseas score by an Indian batter outside Asia.

Despite low scores at Lord’s, Gill returned to form at Old Trafford, where his unbeaten 103 in the second innings salvaged a vital draw after India had lost two wickets for no score in their chase. His composed knock kept the series alive, eventually paving the way for India’s fightback to level it 2–2.

Gill finished the five-match series with 754 runs at an average of 75.40, also winning the Player of the Series award. This tally is the second-highest ever in a World Test Championship series.

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Four-Time Winner

Gill’s latest triumph adds to his previous ICC Player of the Month wins in January 2023, September 2023, and February 2025. Only Australia’s Ash Gardner and West Indies captain Hayley Matthews have matched his four-win tally, though in the women’s category.

Dunkley Takes Women’s Award

In the women’s category, England’s Sophia Dunkley claimed the honour after a strong home series against India. She scored 126 runs in three ODIs and 144 runs in four T20Is at a strike rate of 134.57, including a match-defining 83 in the first ODI at Southampton. Dunkley edged out Sophie Ecclestone and Ireland captain Gaby Lewis to win the award. 

“I am delighted to win the ICC Player of the Month award off the back of a really hard-fought series against India,” Dunkley said. “We’ll take a lot from it moving towards the ICC Women’s World Cup.”

Both winners were chosen through a combination of fan votes and a specialist panel of former players and media representatives.

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.

First James Anderson, and then a brilliant all-round display from Chris Woakes. India's dream was crushed mercilessly on August 12, 2018, at the Lord's cricket ground.

Chris Woakes was not in England's original plan for the match. The pace bowling all-rounder went to play the game in place of Ben Stokes. Barely any cricket fans could have imagined a collapsing batting unit of Team India in both innings. Virat Kohli was then the captain of India, and Ravi Shastri was the head coach. On pen and paper, the playing combination of the men in the blue brigade was well structured.

Anderson needed only 5 balls to strike, and Murali Vijay went for a duck in the very first over of the match. India lost their fourth man when they were at 49 on the scoreboard. James Anderson took 5, and Woakes claimed a brace to restrict India to 107 runs in the first innings. Mohammed Shami and Hardik Pandya were doing well with their bowling duties until Jonny Bairstow and Chris Woakes walked into the middle with bats. Bairstow scored 93, and Woakes remained not out for 137 off 177. 

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We deserved to lose: Virat 

In the second phase of the test, the same things started to repeat for the visiting side—losing wickets from the beginning. This time, they managed to push themselves only to get 130 runs on the scoreboard, far away from England's total. Anderson and Stuart Broad struck 4 times each, and Woakes again got two wickets in his bag. England won the game by an inning and 159 runs. 

"Not proud of the way we've played. First time in the last five tests that we've been outplayed. We deserved to lose the game, the way we went about things... Sometimes the run of the green won't go your way," Virat Kohli said after the match. 

Recently, a five-match Test series was played between India and England for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The series ended in a 2-2 draw. The Indian team won the Test matches at Edgbaston by 336 runs and at the Oval by 6 runs. England won the matches at Leeds by 5 wickets and at Lord’s by 22 runs. After the England tour, the Indian players returned home. They got a few days' break, and after that, the Asia Cup will start next month.

Star fast bowler Akash Deep went to Banaras after coming back from England. There, he offered prayers at the Vishwanath temple. The Bengal pacer shared pictures on his Instagram account and wrote, “I didn’t ask for gold or silver. I only asked for a place at your feet.”

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Akash Deep’s Performance in England

The 27-year-old had a good series, taking 13 wickets in the three Tests he played. This included a match-winning 10-wicket haul in India’s record 336-run victory at Edgbaston. He also scored an important 66 runs in the final Test. He said it was a good experience because every pace bowler wants to play in England. Although the wickets were not as expected, the team put their heart and soul into every match to finish the hard-fought series on even terms. He called the series a great learning experience. Taking ten wickets in a match was significant, but scoring a half-century for the team was more important to him. While working on his half-century, his only thought was not to get out and to keep playing.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Akash Deep (@akash.deep969)

Praise for Mohammed Siraj

Akash Deep also praised Mohammed Siraj, who played in all five Tests and finished as the leading wicket-taker of the series. He said that as a fast bowler, Siraj is very fit, and the way he works hard sets him apart. Playing five matches in a row is commendable. From this, Akash Deep learned that being mentally fit is more important than just being physically fit.

Before this, he also visited the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi after the BGT 2024-25 triumph. There, he wrote on Instagram and posted pictures from his visit to the famous temple with this caption: “Grateful for every blessing that comes my way. Seeking the blessing of Kashi Vishwanath ji. Har Har Mahadev.” He believes that the blessing of Lord Shiva is helping him take more wickets.