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Updated on: Aug 05, 2025 01:40 am IST
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Gautam Gambhir hailed India’s Oval win with a defiant post, saying they may win or lose but will “never surrender” after levelling the series 2-2.
Gautam Gambhir has been a man under pressure since the start of his tenure as India head coach in July last year. The Champions Trophy win did little to ease the scrutiny, with critics sharpening their knives over his red-ball methodology — especially after the unprecedented home whitewash against New Zealand last November and the subsequent Border-Gavaskar Trophy series loss to Australia.
But the former India opener heaved a sigh of relief on Monday as the Shubman Gill-led side pulled off an epic heist at The Oval, levelling the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2-2.
Mohammed Siraj picked up a five-wicket haul, while Prasidh Krishna claimed four as India silenced a rampant England. After centuries from Harry Brook and Joe Root took the hosts to within 73 runs of a record win with seven wickets in hand, the Indian pacers triggered a stunning collapse — grabbing the final seven wickets for just 66 runs to leave Bazball in ruins.
Following the win, Gambhir took to social media to let out a defiant roar. He tweeted: “We’ll win some, we’ll lose some…. but we’ll NEVER surrender! Well done boys!”
Under Gambhir’s reign, India managed just one Test series win — against Bangladesh at home in September — before losing six of their next eight matches in the format, including a forgettable 0-3 whitewash by New Zealand. Although India bounced back with a win in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener in Perth last November, they went on to lose three of the remaining four Tests in the series.
Gambhir’s red-ball woes deepened with a five-wicket loss in Leeds in June. But the Gill-led side turned the tide with a historic 336-run triumph at Edgbaston. At Lord’s, India fought hard, but narrowly fell short in a 22-run defeat. In Manchester, they refused to give in, forcing England to settle for a draw and keeping the series alive. The final chapter at The Oval initially echoed a familiar downfall, but India staged a defiant comeback to seal a famous 2-2 draw.
Former India coach Sanjay Bangar underlined the significance of the result, particularly for Gambhir, given his tumultuous run. Speaking to JioHotstar, he said: “This is one of the special moments in the history of Indian cricket. This was a very important win for Gautam Gambhir as well.”
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