The Indian public heaped praise on the national Test cricket team on Tuesday after their incredible comeback victory against England in the second test at Lord’s - as captain Virat Kohli warned there will be no let-up from his team for the remainder of the series.
India entered the final day on Monday - a day after the country celebrated its 75th Independence Day - simply looking to avoid defeat but the tail-end pairing of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami became unlikely heroes to turn the tide.
With England chasing a target of 272 to win, India attacked with aggression and poise to bowl the hosts out for just 120 in the last two sessions and secure a 151-run victory and the all-important 1-0 lead in the five-test series.
Former players and national media congratulated Kohli’s side, with the headline of the Times of India - the country’s most popular English language newspaper - reading “LORD’S MIRACLE, INDIA STYLE!”
While the popularity of Test cricket has taken a hit recently due to the emergence of shorter forms of the game, including the recently formed The Hundred, the match was the perfect advertisement for the longest and most traditional form of the game, with momentum swinging from one side to another across five days.
Legendary Indian batsmen Sachin Tendulkar took to social media to praise the team, writing: “That was some test match #TeamIndia! Enjoyed watching every moment of it.
"The resilience and grit that the team displayed in difficult situations is something that stood out for me. Very well played!"
Sourav Ganguly, the current president of the cricket board and former captain of India, was in attendance at Lord’s and praised the team’s “character and guts”.
Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, who was working as a TV pundit at Lord’s, also took to social media to praise the pulsating final day.
“From survival to revival, the final day at Lord’s was no less than a binge-worthy thriller”, Karthik posted on Twitter.
India captain Kohli said the win was the “best gift” the players could give to their fans at home after the win came the day after Independence Day.
The 32-year-old vowed there would be no let up in intensity from his team for the rest of the series with England.
During the presentation ceremony, Kohli said: “Our aim is five test matches. We are not going to sit on the laurels after this match and just take it easy.
"If at all, we are going to get more intense and more precise in what we do in the next three games."
