2 masterstrokes and 1 mistake by India in the 5th Test vs England
Team India ended the five-match series against England on a dominant note as they clinched the final Test by an innings and 64 runs in Dharamsala on Saturday, March 9.
With the win, the hosts secured a convincing 4-1 series scoreline and pushed themselves to the very top of the 2023-25 World Test Championship standings. They also made sure that they left behind no doubts with respect to the contest between the two sides.
The fifth Test was a particularly impressive win for Rohit Sharma and Co. They were nearly flawless throughout the encounter, save for a few minute errors here and there.
Below are two masterstrokes and one mistake made by Team India in the fifth Test against England.
#3 Masterstroke - India resisted the urge to declare during Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah's plucky partnership
Given how comprehensive India's win eventually was, this might seem like a minor factor that barely affected the course of the Test. However, with batting conditions still being friendly and several other variables in the mix, the hosts did well not to declare late on Day 2.
Following a flurry of wickets, Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah found themselves at the crease with around 20 overs to go in the day. Many fans and experts, including those in the commentary box, suggested that Rohit Sharma should've called his players in and had a crack at the England openers ahead of Stumps.
However, India smartly resisted the temptation to do that. Kuldeep and Bumrah dropped anchor, with the former scoring a meaningful 30 that ended up ensuring an innings win. Another factor that went under the radar is that by virtue of still batting at the end of the day's play, the home side had the right to choose the roller used ahead of the first session on Day 3.
#2 Mistake - India's shot selection in their only innings wasn't ideal
India secured a massive first-innings lead that was decisive in the win, but they didn't turn in a perfect batting display. In fact, many of their batters were out while playing rash shots.
Yashasvi Jaiswal had already taken Shoaib Bashir to the cleaners by the time he pre-emptively danced out and gave England their first breakthrough of the Test. Dhruv Jurel tried to clear the fielder stationed at long-on during a tricky passage of play.
Meanwhile, Sarfaraz Khan attempted an ambitious cut off the very first ball after the Tea break on Day 2. That was the dismissal that gave England an outside chance of worming their way back into the contest.
Rohit and Co. eventually folded for 477, and while it was enough, it was arguably a touch below par on the surface.
#1 Masterstroke - Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill effectively gave India the win early on Day 2
It wasn't all doom and gloom in the batting department, though. As long as Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill were at the crease, a partnership that yielded 171 runs, the hosts were in total control of the Test.
Kicking off Day 2 with an excellent platform, Gill and Rohit wasted no time in taking the attack to England's bowlers. The latter set the tone with a six and a four off Bashir, while the former made his intentions clear by hoisting James Anderson over the straight boundary.
The duo didn't look back from there as they made light work of England's first-innings total and ensured that India had a major advantage as early as Lunch on Day 2. They could've opted to play risk-free cricket at that stage, but Rohit and Gill made the most of the best batting conditions of the day to effectively win the Test.