Shubman Gill’s war cry — “Ek ghanta zor lagayenge…” — sparked India’s stunning Day 4 comeback and set up a series-levelling win at The Oval. In sport, a timely war cry can reignite belief when hope seems lost. Shubman Gill’s fiery words — “Ek ghanta zor lagayenge…” — did just that, triggering a remarkable turnaround on Day 4 of the fifth Test against England. It not only brought India storming back into the contest but also opened the door for a stunning series-levelling win at The Oval.
Chasing 374 — a target no team had successfully reached in 123 years of Test history at the venue — England found themselves faltering at 106 for three after the loss of stand-in captain Ollie Pope in the opening session on Day 4 under gloomy London skies.
However, Harry Brook (111) and Joe Root (105) turned the tide with a 195-run fourth-wicket stand that had England cruising towards a 3-1 series win with more than a day to spare. Even as Brook departed right before Tea, Root kept the momentum alive. Shortly after the start of the final session, he notched up a record 39th Test century, with England needing just 44 more runs to win and six wickets in hand.
It was then that Shubman Gill’s war cry was picked up on the stump mic, revealed later by broadcasters after early stumps were called. “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.
What followed was instant magic
Jacob Bethell, who never found rhythm during his 31-ball stay, played a rash shot in Krishna’s first over after Tea. Root fell in Krishna’s next, triggering a collapse that left England reeling at 337 for six. The twin strikes post-Tea flipped the script, putting India firmly back in the contest and leaving England suddenly under pressure, staring at a dramatic defeat at The Oval.
This miraculous change of things when England was smoothly approaching the target with relatively ease and the change of mindset after Tea in the body language of Indian bowlers somewhat seemed to be impressive for Dinesh Karthik who didn’t mince his words to appreciate and praise the captaincy tactics of Shubman Gill.
Dinesh Karthik praises Shubman Gill’s captaincy approach at the end of Day 4 at Oval
Former keeper -batter Dinesh Karthik reckons that the current Indian setup led by Shubman Gill features a bunch of players who would be a part of the team consistently for the next decade. Praising the current Indian team which is currently in England, he asserted that they have made the best use of their opportunities.
India are 1-2 down in the five match series vs England which will conclude at the Oval on Monday. Chasing 374, England went to Stumps on Day 4 at 339 for 6 . They need a further 35 runs for victory on Day 4, while India have the tough task of picking up 4 wickets. During the discussion, on Sky Sports Cricket after Day 4 of the Oval Test, Dinesh Karthik applauded the efforts of the young India team led by Shubman Gill even though it seems like they might end up losing the hard- fought series. He asserted :
“It’s a young team. They lost 3-1 in Australia. That was a hammering. They might end up losing 3-1 tomorrow [Monday], but this was not a hammering. They stood up every time. They fought and did everything they could, sometimes out of their skins in terms of skill level.
“Yes, they got some nicer batting wickets to bat on, but they made use of it. They got some big runs; their batting stood up. I think this Indian team is here to stay for the next decade. You’ll almost see the same set of players for a while now,” the 40-year-old former RCB batter added.
While praising the fight shown by Shubman Gill and his team in the Anderson -Tendulkar Trophy 2025, Dinesh Karthik admitted that the hosts have the upper hand at the Oval heading into Day 5 . He said :
“I think England are ahead at this stage. Jamie Smith batting there with a bowling all-rounder coming in – Gus Atkinson.”
At Stumps on Day 4 of the Oval Test, Jamie Smith was batting on 2 and Jamie Overton on 0.Earlier Harry Brook(111) and Joe Root(105) shared a partnership of 195 runs to put England on Top vs India. Irrespective of the result of the series on Day 5, India will return from England with a lot of positives.
While Shubman Gill’s captaincy is the work in progress , his batting prowess in the series was phenomenal having scored 754 runs in 10 innings at an average of 75.40 followed by KL Rahul’s 532 runs, Ravindra Jadeja’s 516 runs in addition to 479 runs by Rishabh Pant and 411 runs by Yashasvi Jaiswal.
In the bowling department, Mohammed Siraj who has played all the 5 tests is the leading wicket taker in the series with 20 wickets as of now at an average of 36.85. Jasprit Bumrah has 14 wickets at an average of 26, while pacers Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna has managed 13 wickets .
Bad light and rain eventually interrupted India’s rhythm during the final session, leaving England at 339 for six at stumps. The home team needs 35 runs to win with Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton were batting at 2 and 0 respectively, while India need just four more wickets to win and square the series 2-2.
It is yet to be seen of Chris Woakes, who was ruled out of the match with a shoulder injury, walks out to bat. The broadcasters did show that he was dressed up to bat on Day 4.
Also Read: ENG vs IND : Shubman Gill Appointed Test Skipper For Red Ball