A Special Test Victory

   India’s victory in the second Test against England on the 2025 tour stands out as both remarkable and deeply satisfying. For purists, Test cricket remains the highest form of the game—a true examination of skill, temperament, and endurance. Even a modern icon like Virat Kohli, raised amidst the glitz of T20 cricket, has always reserved his best for the five-day format.

    Why is Test cricket so revered? Because it restores the balance. Unlike the limited-overs formats, which heavily favor batsmen with free hits and arbitrary fielding restrictions, Test cricket gives bowlers room to breathe—and strike. Growing up my uncles would tell me tales of fearsome fast bowlers like Dennis Lille, Jeff Thompson, Andy Roberts, Malcolm Marshall, and Michael Holding who would terrorize the batsmen. Ever heard of such a thing in T20 cricket? The red ball, with its hard seam, swings more in the morning, and grips the surface better on lively pitches. This tilts the game back toward the bowler, especially the local ones, who know the conditions inside out. That’s why overseas victories are so rare and cherished.

    With Pakistan fixtures now a political impossibility, and with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies no longer competitive in Tests, India's toughest challenges come in the SENA countries: South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia. In the last 30 years, India has won only 21 Tests across these nations—less than one a year. Given how many end in draws—or get washed out by rain—each away win is a prized possession.

So what made this win special?

    For one, the batting display has been extraordinary. Usually, India manages 5–7 centuries across an entire SENA series. But in this series, during the first Test alone, Indian batsmen hit five centuries—despite losing the match. Then came the second Test.

    Shubman Gill, India’s young and somewhat controversial captain, had never scored a century in SENA conditions before. Yet in this match alone, he racked up 430 runs. It was the kind of performance that not only silenced critics but eclipsed legends like Gavaskar, Tendulkar, Dravid and Kohli. Yes, England is without two of their all-time greats—James Anderson and Stuart Broad—but even with that asterisk, Gill's dominance was stunning.

    He wasn’t alone. Yashasvi Jaiswal opened with fearless flair, belying a childhood without the comforts of even a proper home. KL Rahul added poise and class. Rishabh Pant played with his signature audacity. And when the team needed a rescue act, Ravindra Jadeja, ever the rockstar, showed up to blast a counter-attacking fifty, like a “Main Hoon Na” moment in real time.

But of course, batting alone doesn't win Tests. You have to take 20 wickets.

Historically, India has never produced a fast bowler regarded as the best of his generation—not even Kapil Dev. But Jasprit Bumrah has changed that narrative. He delivered a brilliant five-wicket haul in the first innings of the opening Test, giving India a slim lead. Yet England stormed back to win, thanks to a second-innings onslaught.

Then came the most controversial moment of the tour so far: Bumrah was rested for the second Test. Fans were baffled. Outraged. “What were they thinking?!” was the sentiment everywhere. And yet, what followed was magical.

India crushed England by 330 runs.

Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep, supposedly cannon fodder for the English batsmen, tore through the lineup instead. The pair took three five-wicket hauls between them, and in England’s first innings—on a pitch considered batting-friendly—six players fell for ducks. It was a rout. I've always felt that to be considered a test bowler, you need to take a fifer; and here we are with three fifers without our frontline bowler. Great test teams of the past, always had at least a pair of match winning fast bowlers. 

This wasn't just a win. It was a testament to bold thinking from coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill—choices that looked foolish on paper, but paid off spectacularly.

There are still three Tests to go. Anything can happen. But this match will be remembered for a long time—not just for the scoreline, but for the courage, confidence, and sheer joy of watching Indian cricket at its boldest.