When Gambhir, Gill paid no heed to match referee’s threat in quest for Oval Test win

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir and newly-appointed Test captain Shubman Gill paid no heed to the ICC match referee’s direct threat of docking India WTC points ahead of the final day of the recently concluded Oval Test against England. With the visitors snatching a six-run win from the jaws of defeat on the fifth day, they saved themselves from losing four points in the current WTC cycle. In their quest to level the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, the leadership group, including Gambhir, chose to let go of the match referee’s warning over the slow over rate penalty.

Heading into day five of the final Test, India needed four wickets to win while the hosts required just 35 runs to complete another memorable run chase in this series and win it (3-1). Come the D-day, Mohammed Siraj’s fiery yet famous spell saw India stand tall in the end with a six-run win. There, however, was a back story that could have dented India big time had they lost the match.

Per a Dainik Jagran report, India was six overs behind the required rate before the start of the final day’s play, with the match referee Jeff Crowe also warning them over the same. Had they failed to win the Test and bowl England all out, which they eventually did, the ICC would have docked them four crucial points in their WTC tally, further denting their chances of fighting for the top two spots.

Given India missed out on playing this edition’s WTC Final despite leading the tally for most of the last cycle, they wouldn’t have let the ICC punish them this time; and although the report mentioned how they initially planned to start the day with both spinners (Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar) to compensate for the required overs, Gill, Gambhir and assistant coach Sitanshu Kotak took the risk to begin with Siraj, and that paid dividends.

The ace Indian quick first removed Jamie Smith, caught behind in his first over of the day, before accounting for Jamie Overton, trapped in front of the wicket soon. Prasidh Krishna dismissed Josh Tongue next, which then saw injured Chris Woakes come out to bat with his left arm wrapped inside his sweater. Gus Atkinson tried saving England’s grace but failed to as Siraj clean bowled him off a Yorker to help India complete a massive Test win at the Oval.

“I don't care about the over rate. If we lose four points, so be it. We are playing to win,” Gambhir reportedly said as quoted by the outlet.

Meanwhile, following the win, Team India gained points and currently sits in third place, after Australia and Sri Lanka in the WTC standings.