Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Akash Deep, and Devdutt Padikkal, four of the five rookies, demonstrated that they were prepared for the big stage, while the team’s mainstays, Jasprit Bumrah and R Ashwin, also stood tall with well-timed performances.
Not only was the crushing series victory over England on athletic grounds one of India’s best at home, but it also confirmed their dominance in the longest format, with both youth and experience combining to blast “Bazball” out of the park. India’s remarkable domination at home was threatened by injuries to KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja following the shocking loss in the series opener, while the likes of Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami were not available for the entire time. However, Rohit and Co. managed to put pressure back on their aggressive opposition over the next four games.
Four out of the five debutants—Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Akash Deep, and Devdutt Padikkal—showed they were ready for the big stage, while the pillars of the team, like the captain himself, Jasprit Bumrah, and R Ashwin, also stood tall with timely performances.
The future does look bright for a team in transition. The standout performers that allowed India to maintain their upper hand over England were young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav.
It was India’s 17th straight series triumph at home, a remarkable feat that is often taken for granted.
It is particularly encouraging that, in the last ten or so years, India has maintained its dominance, been able to put together winning series, and hasn’t lost many Test matches, despite the fact that foreign players’ exposure in this country is not comparable to what it was in the 1990s, 1980s, or even the early 2000s, before the IPL.
Many English and Australian players have been playing in these conditions for a long time, so they know a lot of people. That’s why it’s much easier now. Nevertheless, the fact that we’ve managed to uphold the benchmark and the record is a true testament to the players.
Jaisball prevails over Bazball.
After the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, Jaiswal matured during the series and finished with a total of 712 runs, making history as the second Indian batter to reach the 700-run mark in a series. The enormous statistics, meanwhile, will not be sufficient to gauge the significant contribution he made to the series. His consecutive double hundreds in Rajkot and Vizag helped to ward off the English. His 209 was the single factor that allowed India to reach 396 in the first innings of the second Test in Vizag; the next best score was 34. His batting style was typified by his ability to shift gears and absorb pressure; he hit an incredible 26 sixes in the series, which spoke a lot about his power game. More robust and fit, Kuldeep gives his deadly spin attack an extra bite.
When bowling together in home circumstances, Ravindra Jadeja and R. Ashwin instill fear and doubt in the minds of any opposition. They lived up to their reputation, taking 26 and 19 wickets, respectively. With Kuldeep Yadav performing at his peak in the last four Test matches, the spin assault became even more devastating, leaving the bewildered opposition with no room to maneuver.
His performance In Dharamsala encapsulated his priceless input on the team’s goal. He got the ball to turn far more than others on a flat day one surface, culminating in a five-wicket haul as England fell to 218 all out from a bright 100 for one. In their first game together in Rajkot, wicketkeepers Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan made an immediate impression.
Before Ben Duckett was sharply run out in the second inning, Jurel finished the first inning with a useful 46. Subsequently, he guaranteed his place in the upcoming Test series for India by scoring a stunning 90 in the rearguard, which nearly propelled the hosts to England’s first innings total of 353.
After having to wait years for his big break, Sarfaraz felt quite at home in the Rajkot Test, scoring fifty runs in each inning. His performance against spin was excellent, and in Dharamsala, he demonstrated that he could keep up with Mark Wood’s rapid speed.
Bumrah becomes enraged in Vizag.
Throughout the five-match series, Bumrah’s reverse swing period in Vizag was one of the most spectacular moments to behold. He managed to turn the 25-over ball into a six-wicket haul that was quite amazing.
We won’t soon forget the thunderous reverse swinging yorker that broke Ollie Pope’s stumps.