Team India clinched victory from the jaws of defeat to beat England by 6 runs in the fifth and final match of the Tets series on Monday. Mohammed Siraj was the chief architect in the win with a five wicket haul in the second innings. While the victory at The Oval sparked celebrations across the nation, one unforgettable moment came from a legendary Sunil Gavaskar.
Sunil Gavaskar sings a patriotic song
After the match ended, Gavaskar stepped onto the field, visibly moved by the occasion. He then surprised everyone by singing the 'Mere Desh Ki Dharti Sona Ugle' song, drawing cheers and applause from those around him.
Sunil Gavaskar on removing workload concept
Speaking to India Today, Sunil Gavaskar said that the term workload should go out of the Indian cricket dictionary. The comments came after Siraj's heroic performance in the five-match Test series. The Hyderabad pacer played the entire series without being rested for a single match. He bowled more than 185 overs in the Test match, with long spells of 6,7 or 8 overs.
Gavaskar said, “I think Siraj bowled his heart out and he debunked forever this business of workload. I hope that the word ‘workload’ goes out of the Indian Cricket dictionary. I've been saying that for a long time. For five Test matches nonstop, he bowled 6-over, 7-over, 8-over spells because the captain wanted it, and the country expected of him. And I think that is the one thing that we all should keep in mind that this workload is only a mental thing, not so much a physical thing,”
Siraj finished as the top wicket-taker of the series, with 23 wickets to his name, an outstanding effort, especially in the absence of India's pace spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah.
