Sunil Gavaskar challenges past legacies, boldly rates India’s Oval win against England with daring ‘bigger than…’ claim

Batting great Sunil Gavaskar was all praise for Shubman Gill and Co. after their incredible win at the Oval, which helped India level the series 2-2. Mohammed Siraj ran riot with the old ball and made life difficult for the English batters, claiming a five-wicket haul to seal a 6-run win in the final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. At the start of Day 5, England needed just 35 runs with four wickets in hand to complete a remarkable chase of 374. They lost Jamie Smith in the second over itself courtesy a brilliant outswinger from Siraj. It made things difficult for England with tailenders left exposed in front of Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, who were still making the old ball swing. Sunil Gavaskar made a bold claim after India's epic win at the Oval.(PTI)

Krishna claimed the wicket of Josh Tongue with a toe-crushing yorker to assist Siraj from the other end. With England down to their final wicket, a courageous Chris Woakes walked out to bat one-handed due to a dislocated shoulder, earning a rousing ovation from the sold-out Oval crowd. Gus Atkinson tried to shield him from a strike, but couldn’t hold off Siraj for long—bowled attempting a big shot as England were dismissed for 367.

Legendary India batter Gavaskar was elated after India's epic triumph, which he called even bigger than the historic Test win over Australia at the Gabba, Brisbane, in 2021.

"This win is bigger than Gabba," Sunil Gavaskar said as quoted on NDTV.

The two matches hold big significance in India's cricket history as it was their first-ever Test win at the Gabba, that too in the absence of senior players like Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin. Ajinkya Rahane led the side in Kohli's absence as a makeshift captain as he and Shastri instilled a belief in the team to take on the mighty Aussies at their own den. Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill rose to the occasion in the iconic 328-run chase and took the team over the line to breach Australia's fortress.

Meanwhile, it was a bit similar when it came to the absence of senior players, with the recent retirements of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and R Ashwin, while Jasprit Bumrah also missed out due to workload management. With their backs against the wall, Siraj and Prasidh Krishna stepped up with the ball, delivering under pressure to script a memorable victory for India—one that will be remembered for years to come.

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