World Test Championship final: Why Oval will continue to inspire Team India

For many Indian cricket lovers, especially those of radio days, the Oval is almost a sacred spot. Here in 1971 Ajit Wadekar-led India vanquished England in England for the first time. The victory came 24 years after the country had gained freedom and on the heels of an away 1-0 series win against the formidable West Indies, and it felt like the beginning of a new era.The Times of India’s headline -- “India’s Finest Hour” – aptly captured the nation’s mood. Over the decades, the Oval has been a site of several other outstanding performances by India. In this Times Special presentation, we talk about a few good men who took centerstage there.Chandrashekhar’s dream spellThe first name that comes to mind is Bhagwat Subramaniam Chandrashekar, the man who demolished England in 1971. England had enjoyed the upper hand in the first three days of the Test. But the leg-spinner turned the tide. “England was unable to distinguish between his top spinner from his leg-break,” said Ajit Wadekar in his autobiography, My Cricketing Years.Chandra’s 6 for 38 is among the most remembered spells in India’s Test history. After the match was over, an Indian restaurant’s new menu offered “Chandrashekhar soup”, reflecting the state of the hosts after facing his deliveries.Solkar’s super catchIn the same series, Alan Knott had hustled the visitors with his aggressive batting. At Oval, captain Wadekar knew it was imperative to dismiss him early. Knott played at a Venkataraghavan delivery and the ball travelled barely a yard from the bat. Stationed at forward short-leg, Solkar later recalled the moment, “I went for the dive of my life and somehow got there!For an agonising moment the ball rested on the finger-tips of my ‘cupped’ hands and could have dropped off. But somehow I pulled it back into the two-handed ‘hollow’ of my hands and Venkat had given India the wicket she needed most. My colleagues are inclined to regard this is the best-ever close-in catch I’ve taken.” Solkar, India’s finest close-in fielder passed away, in 2005. Gavaskar’s super double tonSunil Gavaskar mobbed by fans at The Oval in 1979 after his solid innings of 221 runs brought India very close to victory against England. Sunil Gavaskar also played one of his most memorable knocks at the Oval in the 1979 Test. When India began their pursuit of England’s 438 in the fourth innings, the betting odds was nearly 500:1 for an Indian win. Understandably so. No team had chased down such a mammoth target in the 102-year-old history of Test cricket. The chase was thrilling; every ball keenly followed on radio. Sunil Gavaskar’s monumental 221 almost made the impossible happen.“This was the innings in which he stamped himself on the English cricket conscience,” wrote Mihir Bose in The History of Indian Cricket.In the end, India fell tantalisingly short by 9 runs with two wickets to go; a couple of dubious decisions against the visitors and captain Mike Brearley’s go-slow policy playing their part. Some draws feel like victories. This was one of them.Rohit’s breakout knockOver four decades later, Rohit attained manhood in Test cricket at the Oval. For years, he was a dominating white-ball batter. But a red ball century away from home had eluded him. In 2021, Rohit redefined his batting credentials and improved his resume.His 127 was unlike anything he had played before. It revealed the Mumbai batter’s new-found acumen in finding a way to combat and conquer tough conditions and a tougher first-rate pace attack. The innings came when India were under the pump and became the cornerstone of the team’s match-winning reply.Thakur, the all-rounder Shardul Thakur’s counter-punching 57 off 36 balls at Oval in the same Test is among the most exhilarating cameos in India’s Test history. The innings rescued India from a lowly 7/127 to a more respectable 191.Thakur wasn’t done yet. His 60 in the second innings proved equally vital to India’s cause as did his three wickets in the game, the masterly Joe Root included. Rohit took the man-of the match. Nobody would have disapproved if Thakur had got the same.Audio production: Prateek Kapoor