After the top-order batting disaster in the early stage of the fourth innings of the fifth and final Test at The Oval, Indian opener KL Rahul and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant provided some desperate fights against the hosts England but failed to save the Test match and also lost the series by the 4-1 margin.
Indian cricket team started the fifth day on 58/3, coming to chase a mammoth fourth innings target 464 runs. At first, KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane continued their rescued fourth-wicket partnership and stretched that for 118 runs before losing Rahane on 37 runs. Soon, in the next over, debutant Hanuma Vihari was dismissed without opening his account.
Then Rahul and Pant provided a brilliant long partnership and were desperate to save the game but failed to protect the game in the end. The duo put a 204-run partnership for the sixth-wicket as both completed their respective Test centuries and wished to go on further.
Finally, the leg-spinner broke that partnership as he dismissed both those set batsmen in quick successions. Rahul finally lost his wicket on 149 runs off 224 balls (20 fours and only six) while Pant was dismissed after scoring 114 runs off 146 balls with 15 fours and four sixes.
It took little more time to bowl out that Indian innings as Ishant Sharma (5), Ravindra Jadeja (13) and Mohammed Shami (0) failed to protect their respective wickets. Finally, India was bundled out for 345 runs as England won this Test by 118 runs.
Among the English bowlers, pacer James Anderson (3/45) bagged three wickets and becomes the most number of wicket-taker as a pacer. The left-arm pacer Sam Curran (2/23) and leg-spinner Adil Rashid (2/63) got two wickets while the other pacers Stuart Broad (1/43) & Ben Stokes (1/68) and the off-spinner Moeen Ali (1/60) picked up one wicket each.
English opener Alastair Cook won the Player of the Match award who played two brilliant innings (71 & 147) in his last international cricket match. Meanwhile, England all-rounder Sam Curran and the Indian skipper Virat Kohli both jointly won the Player of the Series award.
Here are some Twitter reactions:
A test match which had many moments worth remembering for a long time. Alastair Cook scoring a century in his last test, Pant scoring his first, Rahul scoring a brilliant 149 & Jimmy Anderson becoming the highest wicket taker amongst fast bowlers. Congratulations Eng on the win.
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) September 11, 2018
It will be a case of what could have been for India. Few positives on the tour but we lacked in consistency and have a fair bit of work to do to become a good travelling team. Congratulations to England on the win.
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) September 11, 2018
Congratulations England on the 4-1 series win. India were good in patches,but not consistent enough with the bat. Pant & Rahul’s display on last day was very heartening, so were Kohli’s & the bowlers consistency throughout .Need to work a lot to travel better.Ab MissionAustralia
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) September 11, 2018
Couldn’t have been….should’ve been. Second consecutive overseas tour ends with the same feeling. Indian fast bowlers are world class. Kohli is the best batsman in the world. Some work left in other areas to become the best Test side in the world. #EngvInd
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) September 11, 2018
There is no room for "what if" in sport. India had their moments but the scorecards say 4-1 and India weren't as good as they should have been. This is two overseas disappointments in a row now.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 11, 2018
What an awesome Test Series. 4-1 against the World #1 team #India 🇮🇳 The scoreline certainly doesn’t tell the whole story, was an incredibly emotional Series to be involved in. Have loved… https://t.co/PfyDZpSYVH
— Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8) September 11, 2018
GREAT Test series … Both teams playing a staring role … Well done India who have a high class team to compete in all conditions … but England at home prove once again they have a very very strong team for these conditions … #ENGvIND
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) September 11, 2018
A great #ENGvsIND series in many ways, not least because it removed any shadow of doubt from the fact that Virat Kohli is the best batsman in the world, bar none.
— Jake Perry (@jperry_cricket) September 11, 2018
#INDvENG #EngVsInd #ENDvIND #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/df3oj8mhnY
— Aditya Gupta (@researchAditya) September 11, 2018
India’s sportsmanship has been top class this series. Their conduct on and off the pitch has been exemplary. Fine role models. Heart warming. #ENGvsIND
— James Burridge (@James_Burridge) September 11, 2018
Agree. Adil Rashid turned the match around. What a ball that was! That has always been the case. If some ordinary player hits pleasing cover drive then nobody talks about it but if the same shot is hit by well known players then ppl will keep on talking abt it. #ENGvsIND
— Vicky2018 (@viku082018) September 11, 2018
Very true, @BCCI' Team India showed potential for future and showed why we need to define different selection criteria for Test and ODI. @ECB_cricket have it figured out. Thanks to amazing performance by @RishabPant777 and @klrahul11 a stat came out #INDvENG #ENGvsIND https://t.co/8KMstk79UX
— Shardul Joshi (@shardulvjoshi) September 11, 2018
And that’s why Test cricket is and always will be the greatest format of the game. Like a theatre at The Oval this week! #ENGvsIND #SirJimmyandSirAlastair pic.twitter.com/lczmIlvPbx
— James Benstead (@benstead_james) September 11, 2018
One man who could have saved India the Test Series! #Rahul #TheWall #Virat #Kohli #ViratKohli #Cricket #INDvsENG #ENGvsIND #India #England #TestSeries #Rahane #Stokes #Anderson #INDvENG #KLRahul pic.twitter.com/wLUBtUkNrU
— Khelkood – Sports Fair (@khelkoodSports) September 11, 2018
Ravi Shastri at PC : Look,we lost by just 31 runs at edgbaston then we almost chased down 464 here,that says we could have been easily 3-2 but it happens in the game of cricket,boys are going back with full of confidence…. #ENGvsIND
— arfan. (@Im__Arfan) September 11, 2018
