In sport, timing is all that matters to turn the game. India skipper Shubman Gill timed his war cry accurately on Day Four of the fifth & final Test against England at the Oval. His words, “Ek ghanta zor lagayenge…” — ignited a massive spark for the visitors' miraculous comeback late on Day Four, and opened a possibility to level the five-match Test series 2-2.
Chasing a target of 374 - a chase no team has ever achieved in 123 years of Test history at The Oval, the hosts almost raced to the target with seven wickets remaining. However, Gill & Co. still had some gas left as bowlers, Mohammed Siraj, Parsidh Krishna, and Akash Deep turned the tide, by picking up three wickets, to leave the hosts to get 35 runs on the last day with four wickets in hand.
While India managed to dismiss the dangerous Harry Brook before Tea, Joe Root kept going and notched up his 39th Test hundred, with the hosts needing only 44 runs to get with six wickets remaining. It was at this moment that Shubman Gill's war cry was picked up by the stump mic, revealed later in the day by broadcasters after stumps on Day Four. “Come on, boys. Ek ghanta aur zor lagayenge, uske baad sab mil ke aaraam karenge” (“Let’s give it our all for one more hour, then we’ll all rest together”), he said, rallying his bowlers.
India stay in the hunt as Shubman Gill motivates the troops
To be fair to Gill & everyone in the Indian team, they have managed to fight right through the five-match Test series. While there were a few blunders also made, overall, under the young captain Gill, the players have played as a unit. With odds heavily in favor of England to win on Day Five at the Oval, the series will always be remembered for the grit, character, and determination shown by India.
