Young indians

Nitish Kumar Reddy: The proof that heart and hunger can trump experience in a contest was reinforced in the form of Shubman Gill’s spirited young Indian side, which defied expectations in English conditions to draw the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series 2-2 with a thrilling six-run win in the fifth and final Test at The Oval here.

Before the start of the series, many pundits had predicted a 1-4 defeat for India, citing the absence of stalwarts like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and R. Ashwin, and a seam-friendly English summer.

Yet, under first-time Test captain Gill, a fearless bunch of youngsters rose to the occasion, fought fire with fire, and delivered a result that few had dared to imagine.