Year-ender special: Team India’s memorable Oval Test victory stands out as their finest on-field moment of 2025.
When England’s final wicket of Gus Atkinson fell under a clouded London sky at The Oval, the Team India players erupted in unison. The nerve wrecking match, almost poetic, and a sense of redemption that followed was indescribable.
After all the heartbreaks, the missed chances, and the faltering transitions through the 2025 Test season, this victory meant revival. Against the odds, in challenging conditions, India had carved out one of their most memorable overseas wins in recent years.
Before and after The Oval victory, the year had been unforgiving. The Test side suffered defeats that exposed its vulnerabilities. India were whitewashed in their own den by South Africa, suffering their second clean sweep at home over 12 months. The team, which was hailed for its Test dominance, had to face a 3-1 defeat against Australia in Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The English summer was expected to be a test of character. India stumbled at Lord’s and Headingley, while winning at Edgbaston, after which the scoreline read 1-2 for the visitors. Questions reverberated around the team’s balance, the middle order’s fragility, and the bowling attack’s inability to finish games.
Critics spoke of a fading golden generation and a captain under pressure. The World Test Championship (WTC) table made the reality even starker, India now stood outside the top three for the first time in four years. Hope rested solely on a turnaround at The Oval, a venue that has seen India’s very best and very worst over the decades.
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Test that defined grit
When newly designated skipper Shubman Gill walked out for the toss on a chilly August morning, overcast conditions threatened to tilt the match decisively towards England. India, put in to bat, looked in for another early collapse after Gus Atkinson removed Yashasvi Jaiswal within the first four overs. Yet, what followed was an exhibition of fight and discipline rather than defiance.
Young Sai Sudharsan tried building up a partnership with Gill, carrying the burden of expectation, but they couldn’t capitalise much on the start. Later, a heroic half century by Karun Nair gave India a satisfactory first innings total.
It was in the second innings that the India batters came firing with Jaiswal’s blistering century, complimented by half centuries by Akash Deep, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar.
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Siraj-Krishna show
England began confidently in the second innings, with Ben Duckett and Joe Root punishing the balls which deserved such treatment. But Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna returned with the rhythm and menace that once defined India’s away dominance.
Siraj’s spell in the second innings was the turning of the tide, five wickets for 104 runs, trapping Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope and removing the lower order of the England batting lineup to finish things off. Krishna also played a pivotal role as he clinched the wickets of dangerous Duckett, and Root.
The final day was classic Test theatre at The Oval – the light dim, the pitch dusty, the crowd restless. England’s hopes rested on Duckett and Root, but Siraj and Krishna hunted like a pair possessed.
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Moments to remember, lessons to carry
The dressing room scenes captured the emotion of the year’s struggle. Players embraced, laughter returned, and the sense of belonging revived. Gill’s captaincy, still in its earliest days, was lauded for its clarity and bold calls, such as entrusting Krishna for another match and sending Akash Deep at No 4. More than the win, it was the resilience and revival of belief that truly defined The Oval Test.
Siraj, with match figures of 9/190, earned the Player of the Match award. Jaiswal’s century was hailed as the turning point, his fearless hundred reminding fans what made India dangerous in overseas Tests.
The road ahead
Despite this triumph, India’s Test record in 2025 remains sobering, five defeats, single draw, and just four wins across the year. The Oval win, while euphoric, cannot erase the broader challenges: an unsettled core, plethora of experiments, and the gap between domestic and international readiness of the bench.
Still, this victory feels like the spark before resurgence. It showed that when skill meets intent, India can still conquer fortresses abroad. As the WTC cycle moves into its decisive phase in 2026, Gill’s men must now string together performances like this.
The Oval Test should serve as a reminder of identity. In England’s tough, swinging air, India rediscovered the joy of Test cricket, built on patience, courage, and moments of madness that make this game timeless.
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