India-England series raises the bar very high

IT was a script seemingly written in heaven. An enthralling series — one of the greatest in the 148-year history of Test cricket — produced the perfect result: a 2-2 draw. There was nothing to choose between India and England — both fought tooth and nail in all five matches, giving absolutely no quarter to each other. The young Indian team, ably led by the new skipper, Shubman Gill, made an amazing comeback after being 1-2 down to draw the fourth Test at Manchester and win the final one at The Oval. On the last day of the fifth Test, India’s ecstasy was visible in the players’ lap of honour, which gave the impression that they had won the series and not just the match. England’s agony was summed up by the plight of all-rounder Chris Woakes, who walked out to bat wearing a sling to protect his dislocated shoulder, with 17 runs needed and just one wicket in hand. England eventually fell short by a mere six runs as never-say-die pacer Mohammed Siraj delivered the coup de grace.