India’s dramatic series-levelling win at The Oval may have called for grand celebrations, but the squad chose quiet downtime instead, heading their separate ways less than 24 hours after the pulsating fifth Test finale.
A large group of players, including Mohammed Siraj, the hero of the victory, boarded an Emirates flight early Tuesday morning, heading to Dubai en route to their respective home cities in India. Siraj will take the next available flight to Hyderabad, while Arshdeep Singh and Shardul Thakur were also among those flying back.
Some players, however, opted to stay back in the UK for a short, well-deserved break. Just hours after the thrilling six-run win, Arshdeep and Prasidh Krishna were seen spending quiet time with their families in central London. Kuldeep Yadav, who like Arshdeep didn’t feature in the series, was spotted catching up with former India spinner Piyush Chawla.
Jasprit Bumrah, who missed the final Test due to workload management, had already been released from the squad during the match.
“There were no celebrations last night. It has been a long and hectic series. The players spent time on their own or with families. Most are heading back to India, some are heading elsewhere,” a BCCI source said.
Drawing a Test series in England was a significant achievement for Shubman Gill and his young team—especially after the recent retirements of stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Fair to say, this team has already begun turning the page on that era.
India’s next major challenge will be the Asia Cup T20, scheduled in the UAE next month.