Rishabh Pant
Hosts India defeated England by an innings and 25 runs to win the fourth and final Test and seal the series 3-1. Following their dominant show in Ahmedabad, Virat Kohli's men also booked their place in the final of the World Test Championship, to be played at Lord's against New Zealand.
Axar and Axar Patel combined once again to decimate the English batting order on the third day. Both the tweakers scalped five wickets each to bundle out the visitors for 135 in the second innings.
Before India's dominant bowling display, it was the duo of Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar which took the England bowlers to cleaners. Pant, who has often been criticised for his mode of dismissals, scored a fabulous hundred to put India in the driver's seat. Pant smacked a sensational ton -- his first at home -- while Sundar scored 96* to blow away England's hopes of a victory.
"The scoreline doesn't reflect how close it was," said India head coach Ravi Shastri after securing a comprehensive victory. Shastri also heaped praise on Pant for working hard for the last few months and hailed the southpaw's knock as the best counterattacking innings he's seen in India.
" Pant has been simply magnificent. We were hard on him. Nothing comes easy. He was told in no uncertain terms that he has got to respect the game a little more. He's got to lose a bit of weight and work hard on his keeping. We know the talent he has and he has responded. He has worked like hell for the last few months and the results are here to see," said Shastri.
"Yesterday's innings was the best counterattacking innings I have seen in India. It was a two-phase innings. He built a partnership with Rohit playing against his nature - to do that is not easy - and to turn it on after 50. Keeping has been magnificent and Washi was outstanding too," he added.
Speaking on the much-debated surface in the series, Shastri said that the groundsmen have done a fantastic job. He also pointed out the struggles of the Indian camp while staying in a bio-secure bubble for around six months.
"The scoreline of 3-1 doesn't reflect how close the series was. It's like our series in England we lost 1-4. England had their moments and if they grabbed those we could have had a different result. Six months in the bubble, seeing the same faces... The bubble will burst (smiles). It's tough for professional players when you are not doing well.. it's really tough being the bubble," said Shastri
