Shubman Gill
and
Dhruv Jurel
orchestrated a tense chase as India secured a five-wicket victory over England in the fourth Test on Monday, clinching an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series. And the home team's remarkable victory received lavish praise from legends
Sachin Tendulkar
and Virat Kohli.
In pursuit of a modest 192 for triumph, India raced to 84 without loss, propelled by the strong opening partnership of Rohit Sharma (55) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (37).
However, the English spinners, led by Shoaib Bashir (3 for 79), triggered a collapse that saw India slump to 120 for 5 on the penultimate day of the see-saw contest.
Gill (52) and Jurel (39) then forged an unbroken partnership of 72 runs for the sixth wicket, sealing England's first series defeat under the leadership of captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum.
Immediately after India's victory, Sachin posted a congratulatory message on 'X' to sum up the victory, with special praise reserved for key contributors -- Dhruv Jurel, Shubman Gill, debutant pacer Akash Deep, Ravichandran Ashwin and Rohit Sharma.
"The score is 3-won!" Tendulkar began his post with cheeky word-play.
"India once again came back from a pressure situation and fought back to win the match. It shows the character and the mental strength of our players," remarked Tendulkar.
"A great first spell in Test cricket for Akashdeep. @dhruvjurel21 was terrific at reading the length in both innings and his footwork was precise. His partnership with @imkuldeep18 kept us in the game in the 1st innings, and his knock in the 2nd innings helped us sail home. Kuldeep's spell in the 2nd innings was vital. Seniors like @ashwinravi99, @imjadeja and @ImRo45 did their jobs," the post further read.
"@ShubmanGill showed great temperament in curbing his instinct in the chase and scored an important 50. So happy that the match as well as the series is ours."
Virat Kohli, who is out of action for the entire series and recently welcomed the arrival of his second child -- son named 'Akaay', also congrtulated the 'young team' that missed a number of stars.
"YES!!! Phenomenal series win by our young team. Showed grit, determination and resilience," wrote Virat on 'X'.
Besides Virat opting out of the series, KL Rahul has been ruled out due to an injury after playing the first Test. Jasprit Bumrah was rested for the fourth Test in Ranchi.
The fifth and final match of the series is scheduled to begin on March 7 in Dharamsala.
English (US) ·