England-India series proves that nothing beats Test cricket's emotional rollercoaster ride

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) Watching a five-Test series is much like binge-watching a gripping drama that takes over your life and quietly slips into your dreams. In many ways, Test cricket and a web series aim to do the same thing: to entertain and then completely occupy your mind, as if nothing else in the world sparkles in the same way.

Just as memorable characters and iconic dialogues from a show start to echo in everyday life, Test cricket builds its own immersive universe -- starring complex players, gripping tension, and shaped by plot twists that can flip the game’s narrative in a single session. When all of it finally ends, you’re left unsure about the feeling in your mind - is it relief, or emptiness?

That’s the lingering emotion going on in every cricket enthusiast’s mind now that the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy has drawn to a close. A 2-2 scoreline feels fair, but somehow, it hardly captures the scale of what an emotional roller-coaster ride. This was a series built on heroic performances, relentless drama, players pushing past extreme pain, and moments so emotional that they have left an imprint on everyone who lived through it - on and off the field.

“It has been that kind of a series, hasn't it? It's like, it took a lot out of you, but then once it's over, you're like ‘geez, it's over’. How many Test series go all the way to day five of every Test match? So it's like all five Test matches going down to the wire on all five days says a lot about the quality of cricket played,” said Deep Dasgupta, former India wicketkeeper who juggled radio and TV broadcasting duties for the five-match series, in an exclusive conversation with IANS.

The final day of the series, made possible due to rain Gods sneaking in late on day four at The Oval, was just a relentless whirlpool of emotions. It began with two boundaries off the first two balls from Jamie Overton, one struck with authority, the other riding its luck, and in a flash, the target went from 35 to 27 runs. In a matter of two balls, the stakes had shot up.

“It was an emotional rollercoaster ride through those 57 minutes. When it started, England needed 35 runs, and there was this feeling that ‘okay, they still got a chance’. The first two balls went for back-to-back boundaries, and it was down to 27, and I go, ‘Oh my God, what's going on here? Can they pick themselves up?’

"I mean, it's the last day of the series, and you're tired. Siraj has bowled 180 plus overs, and then the next over, he picks up the wicket of Jamie Smith. Again, you start believing, and it was a rollercoaster ride from there onwards,” added Dasgupta.

For a moment, it didn’t feel like cricket - it felt like the web series was approaching a jaw-dropping climax. Those frenetic final moments of the series were less of a sequence of overs and more of a single long take. With England needing a six to win and India requiring just one more wicket, the tension reached its peak.

The climax came when Mohammed Siraj, having already bowled over 180 overs in the series, nailed a yorker that shattered Gus Atkinson’s off-stump – ending the series in a manner no one watching will forget, whether in the stadium or on TV/mobile screens.

“By then, it was kind of a matter of time till he hit a six, and that was a drop catch by Akash Deep. Seeing that, I was like, ‘Oh my God. ’ Then, when that moment happened (of Siraj dismissing Atkinson), it was like, ‘Gosh, what a feeling’. I mean, it's difficult to explain it in words even now. I was on air at that point in time for the BBC, and I think Michael Vaughan was there with me, and it was unbelievable.”

“It was a feeling of being ecstatic, relief, and a lot of emotions around. I'm sure for the players, it was unbelievable, but for us who were part of it and covering as well, it was emotionally quite draining because it was an emotional series in terms of how it went, and it had everything -- camaraderie, chit chats and a little bit of animosity, if you want to call it. Obviously great cricket, some poor cricket at times, and there were so many subplots,” added Dasgupta.

This wasn’t just another Test series -- it played out like a 25-part saga, full of momentum shifts, heated exchanges, collapses, comebacks, redemption arcs, and unforgettable individual brilliance.

“I was just talking to someone, and I was like, ‘You can easily put it on an OTT platform and it'll be a 25-part super hit series’. So, working with BBC, I actually told them that because they have an hour-long highlights of every day’s play, I said to them, ‘You can easily put it together in 25 days and it'll be a huge, huge success’,” added Dasgupta.

For now, the cricket world will bask in the glow of a series that was full of emotions and energy of every kind. Soon, the jam-packed international calendar will kick into gear again. But this series, like a favourite show one is not ready to part with, will continue to live in the imagination of everyone’s minds a little longer.

“As a broadcaster, I did not cover the 2020/21 Australia series (which India won 2-1). That was a miraculous series win as well, with all that had happened - injuries and unavailability. But I hadn't covered anything like this. This was like a proper roller coaster, right? It’s so true that this series is something all of us aren’t going to forget for a very long time,” concluded Dasgupta.

--IANS

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