"India were very sound tactically" - Former head coach points to key strategy behind memorable victory in ENG vs IND 5th Test 2025

England v India - 5th Rothesay Test Match: Day Five - Source: Getty
Team India pulled off arguably their most memorable Test win at the Oval [Credit: Getty]

Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri praised the side for their tactical brilliance on the final day of the fifth Test against England at the Oval. With the hosts needing only 35 runs to win and having four wickets in hand, Team India pulled a rabbit out of the hat to prevail by six runs.

Ad

Mohammed Siraj picked up three out of the final four wickets, while Prasidh Krishna bagged the other wicket to fall. England were coasting at 301/3 on Day 4 before the visitors picked up the final six wickets for only 66 runs.

Reflecting on the incredible Indian win after the Oval Test, Shastri told Sky Sports (0:54):

"Sheer blood and guts from players from both the teams. You had to dig deep because there was tension from everywhere. And for Shubman Gill, in his first series as captain, to keep his cool and I thought India were very sound tactically when they came out. They kept the ball out and made the England players reach out and feel for it and set fields accordingly."
Ad

He added:

"They made sure the boundaries could go only square of the wicket and nothing into the stumps, where they could hit down the ground. And I thought they were first-class."

The win helped India finish their UK tour with a 2-2 draw in the best-of-five series.

"As Jamie Smith nicked that one, it set the tone" - Stuart Broad

Ad

Former England pacer Stuart Broad believes the early wicket of wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith set the tone for the side's heartbreaking defeat on Day 5 at the Oval. Despite being the last recognized batter, Smith edged a wide delivery from Siraj to fall for a 20-ball two in the second over of the day.

The dismissal relegated the hosts to 347/7 with another 27 runs still needed for victory.

"England would have been really confident this morning but as soon as Jamie Smith nicked that one, it set the tone. It probably did a little bit more than I thought it was going to this morning. Huge skill shown by Siraj and Krishna to get that ball moving and keeping it in the channel without allowing clips off the legs. As soon as the wicket of Jamie Smith fell, the tension escalated," said Broad (via the aforementioned source).

It was the second consecutive game that England let go of a golden opportunity to win after the drawn Test at Manchester last week.

Follow IPL Auction 2025 Live Updates, News & Biddings at Sportskeeda. Get the fastest updates on Mega-Auction and cricket news

Quick Links

Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
down arrow icon
More
bell-icon Manage notifications