Indian team won a Test match at the Oval in London after 1971, a gap of 50 years. It was a total team performance from the visitors with lower-order performing with the bat in the first innings, pacers ding the job in both the innings and openers and middle-order coming to the rescue in the second batting innings.
While Rohit Sharma stood out with his first overseas Test century scoring 127 runs and was the main reason why India could post a total of 466 runs in the second innings. But it was the bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur who had the most impact on the game among the 22 players on the field making his presence felt in all four innings.
Thakur first made the difference with the fastest-ever Test fifty in England helping India lift to 191 after being o 127/6. Then in the second innings took the most important wicket of well-set Ollie Pope, who played a fabulous knock of 81 runs.
Then again with the bat, Thakur smashed 60 runs off just 72 balls helping India's lead to go beyond 300 and then in the final innings took two very important wickets. First, he broke the 100-run opening partnership between Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed, getting rid of the left-hander. He came back to dismiss England skipper Joe Root as England were now all but out of the game.
However, Rohit was given the 'Player of the Match' award for his knock and naturally, the fans were not happy with the decision as they suggested that it was out and out Thakur's game and giving anyone else the award didn't make sense.
Skipper Virat Kohli too appreciated Thakur's efforts in the game saying that his impact in the game will be remembered for a long time.
Here are some of the reactions:
