Miyan Magic, Glorious Gill And End Of Shardul in Tests: Takeaways From India’s Thrilling England Tour

The Indian team did what most teams wouldn’t have even dared to do-  win a match with the Bazballers (England) needing 73 with seven wickets in hand. One of the two players had already got to his century and the other was nearing one. 

This happened at the Oval in London as India won the fifth match of the five-game series by six runs and squared the series 2-2. Although the last series win in England still remains the one achieved in 2007-08, this drawn series feels more like a win. 

Here are the key takeaways for the country from India's thrilling tour of England in 2025. 

Is It The End Of Shardul's Test Career?

Shardul Thakur got a second chance in the Indian team after he was ignored for the Australia tour. That chance came on the back of a solid showing in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25, where the Mumbai bowling all-rounder scored 505 runs at a batting average of 42 and took 35 wickets at a bowling average of 22.62.

However, he failed to impress in either the bowling or batting. The 33-year-old could pick only two wickets and scored 46 runs at an average of 15. 

With such performances, his chances of appearing in an overseas Test seem grim. Moreover, India’s next overseas Test tour, where fast bowlers with batting ability will be required, is one and a half years away, when they are scheduled to tour New Zealand at the end of 2026.

Prasidh Krishna: The Horse That Needs To Be Bet On Big Time

Prasidh Krishna took 14 wickets, the same as superstar Jasprit Bumrah, in the same number of matches.

His strike rate of 45 was the best amongst all Indian bowlers, even though he went for 111 and picked up just one wicket in the Birmingham Test. It clearly shows that Prasidh is someone who needs to get more chances and, more often than not, will give the desired results. 

The 29-year-old’s first-class records suggest the same, as he has a strike rate of 41 with over 100 wickets and 27 matches to his name. In Bumrah's absence (due to workload management), India could look at Prasidh as the attacking option. 

Prasidh's brilliance to get Josh Tongue in the Oval Test was a testament to the Indian pacer's confidence in his own skills. If Siraj was the hero of the Oval Test, Prasidh was the best supporting act possible.

Washington Sundar: The Ultimate Mr Dependable In Tests 

With a batting average of 44, bowling average of 28, a five-wicket haul and a century in the longest format in just a 13-match-long career, Washington Sundar has played in Australia, England and India. And he has delivered everywhere. 

Be it the breaking of ‘Gabba Ka Ghamand’ in Australia in 2021, the heist at the Oval or the grind at Manchester, Sundar was everywhere with bat, ball and in the field as well.  

In Sundar, India have unearthed a true gem, one that will keep radiating. With 4/22 at Lord’s, the all-rounder announced his arrival in the series and nearly saw India home. 

He saved a crucial game for India with a brilliant maiden ton in Manchester. However, the 25-year-old hit one of the most important fifties of his career during India’s second innings at the Oval. It was his partnership of 39 for the last wicket with Prasidh that became the ultimate difference between India and England.

Miyan Magic On Display, But There Is A Lesson In It For India 

Mohammed Siraj was the only Indian pacer to have featured in all five Tests of the series. This tells exactly how difficult it is to play all five Tests and give a 100 per cent in all of them. 

He ended up becoming the highest wicket-taker with 23 scalps at an average of 32 and a strike rate of 48. The three wickets that he took on the morning of August 4 would certainly rank at the top of his list. 

However, his durability should not be taken for granted. Having played all five Tests each in Australia and England, Siraj has shown that he can give it all for his team. But the team must not get greedy and manage the pacer's workload well, as match fatigue doesn't spare even the best of the best.

Sublime Shubman Embraces Captaincy 

Shubman Gill, becoming India's Test captain, faced a lot of criticism. But over the course of the series, not only Gill the captain, but also Gill the batter showed why it was a brilliant move by the selectors. The Punjab batter started the tour with a century. But the team lost that game, and his approach on the field was questioned. 

India were in a similar situation during the last Test at The Oval. However, this time around, instead of trying to break England open, he chose to trust his process and his bowlers, and they did the magic. The biggest open secret of captaincy is getting the best out of your resources, and Gill did learn it eventually. 

Gill, the batter was at another level altogether. The 25-year-old smashed 754 runs, falling short by just 20 runs of the record for most runs by an Indian batter in a Test series. It still belongs to Sunil Gavaskar. His century at Leeds, double ton at Edgbaston and match-saving hundred at Manchester are a testament to him establishing his role as the pack's leader.

The captaincy, especially the idea of how a team should be formed, is still a work in progress. It is not clear whether it is his or the management's idea, but the mentality is to go for players who can bat rather than going for bowlers who can take 20 wickets. In Tests, it is the 20 wickets that win games, as was shown both at the Oval and Edgbaston for the Indian team. 

With time, Gill will likely evolve. However, one thing is for sure: 'Prince' Gill has surely filled up the space left by King [Virat] Kohli both at number four in the batting lineup and as a captain who loves to win more than anything else.