2 mistakes and 1 masterstroke by India in the 5th ENG vs IND 2025 Test ft. Shubman Gill's captaincy

Team India secured a famous six-run win over England at The Oval on Monday, August 4. The visitors clinched the fifth Test by a narrow margin to level the five-match series 2-2.

India were left the happier of the two sides following the conclusion of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, which was shared. They arguably played better cricket for a greater portion of the five Tests, and for a team going through transition, they gave a good account of themselves.

However, from a tactical perspective, Shubman Gill and Co. had a fair amount of scope for improvement. Even in the fifth Test, where they did well to overcome a lost toss as well as a first-innings deficit, there were passages of play where they could've been sharper.

On that note, here are two mistakes and one masterstroke made by India in the fifth Test against England.

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#3 Mistake - India could've batted with more intent at times in challenging conditions

England v India - 5th Rothesay Test Match: Day Five - Source: Getty

India made 224 in their first innings after being asked to bat first in overcast conditions. With the ball hooping around, a number of batters displayed airtight technique and solidity. However, the visitors arguably didn't bat with enough aggression to maximize their chances of survival.

KL Rahul went into his shell at the start of his knock before some extra seam movement forced him to chop one onto his stumps. Sai Sudharsan didn't bat at a rapid tempo, while others like Ravindra Jadeja and Yashasvi Jaiswal barely played an attacking shot before being dismissed.

Even when India's batters were given freebies that were short and wide, they were a bit hesitant to go after them. England, on the other hand, smashed their way out of trouble. Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley nearly clinched the game with their opening stand, while others like Harry Brook benefited from the counterattack.

India's approach would've been understandable in slightly flatter conditions, but with the bowlers being on top, putting some pressure on them and trying to fashion scoring opportunities was probably the better idea.

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#2 Masterstroke - India ignored the second new ball

England v India - 5th Rothesay Test Match: Day Five - Source: Getty

On the final morning, India had the option to take the second new ball. But they rightly resisted the urge, sticking to the old, softer ball that was moving around prodigiously for both Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna.

In the Lord's Test, India made the mistake of taking the second new ball, which had to be replaced shortly after that. Once it was replaced by a slightly older ball, it didn't move both in the air and off the pitch, greatly harming the team's chances of taking wickets.

At The Oval, though, India learned from that mistake and smartly stuck to the old ball that claimed the remaining four wickets.

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#1 Mistake - India should've used their spinners more often, especially in the second innings

England v India - 5th Rothesay Test Match: Day Five - Source: Getty

Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar bowled only a combined 10 overs across the two innings of The Oval Test. Gill didn't seem to have much faith in their ability to produce wickets in seam-friendly conditions, despite having only three fast bowlers at his disposal.

India definitely should've used their spinners more, with plenty of the England batters having weaknesses against turn and drift. Brook smashed a counter-attacking century in the second innings, while others like Crawley and Duckett made the most of the pace they had to work with.

Moreover, India's pacers were clearly tired towards the end of the match. If not for Siraj and Prasidh's lion-hearted efforts, their lack of sharpness and excessive workload could've seriously hurt the side's chances.