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Team India recently hosted England in the five-match Test series. The battle of the longest format kicked off with England’s victory in the first Test. However, the hosts bounced back in grand style and registered triumphs in the remaining four fixtures to capture the series with a stunning scoreline of 4-1.
India’s exceptional comeback
The home team first faced a defeat in the opening Test by 28 runs in Hyderabad. The two teams then locked horns in Visakhapatnam where India defeated England by 106 runs. The action moved to Rajkot for the third Test, where India secured one of their most significant Test victories with a margin of 434 runs.
India continued their winning momentum in the fourth Test in Ranchi as they won it by 5 wickets. The fifth and final Test was hosted by Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala where the Rohit Sharma-led side put the final nail in the coffin and defeated the English side by an innings and 64 runs.
A historic achievement
As a result, India joined an exclusive club as only the fourth team in history to win a series of five or more matches by a 4-1 margin after losing the first match. The most recent instance of such a feat occurred 112 years ago when England claimed victory in the five-match Ashes series in Australia during the 1911-12 season. Prior to that, Australia achieved the same feat twice at home in the Ashes series, in 1897-98 and 1901-02.
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Sanjay Manjrekar names the standout bowler of the IND vs ENG series
Ravichandran Ashwin, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and other notable players shone brightly throughout the series against England. Jaiswal showcased his batting prowess, emerging as the top run-scorer with 712 runs, while Ashwin displayed his bowling mastery, claiming the most wickets with 26 scalps. However, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar had a different perspective on the standout performer with the ball of the India versus England series.
In an ESPNCricinfo show, Manjrekar and former England pacer Steve Harmison were tasked with selecting the standout bowler of the series. They bypassed Jasprit Bumrah and Ashwin and opted for Kuldeep Yadav. Notably, Kuldeep, who featured in four Tests, claimed 19 wickets overall in the series. His exceptional performance in the fifth Test, where he dismissed five batters in the first innings, earned him the Player of the Match award.
Harmison praised Kuldeep Yadav, stating, “Kuldeep Yadav. He took a lot of big wickets” as the reason for selecting him as the top bowler. Manjrekar supported this sentiment, acknowledging, “He didn’t play or bowl as much as he should have, but I am with Steve.”
