The ground brought sanity to the wild, soaring numbers for the batters in the series. The wicket had grass, and it made the batters struggle.
Washington Sundar's bold prediction that the visitors would seal the win 'probably in the first session' turned into a haunting soundbite, as England staged a spirited comeback to snatch a 22-run victory and a 2-1 lead in the series.
England head coach Brendon McCullum feels his players have lacked humility in their recent public utterances and he would like to see them win back respect from fans ahead of the tough home series against India and the Ashes later this year.
England still have hopes of winning this game. This prognosis is based on their fourth innings exploits over the last three years and the fact that India galloped to 321 runs in 70 overs, suggesting the wicket isn't particularly tricky. However, the big difference from Leeds in June this year, or Birmingham in 2022, is that this track still has plenty of juice.
'We obviously want to wheel him in, but we also want to respect where his body's at, and on the basis of that, we just felt that it wasn't worth including him in the squad.'
England have only drawn one from 35 Tests in the McCullum-Stokes regime, with one of their exhilarating run chases in that spell coming when they reached 378 against India in 2022 -- the only time India have lost when defending Test totals of more than 350.
India and England players will push their tired bodies on the line with everything to play for in the fifth and final Test starting at The Oval on Thursday
'And obviously two losses and being out of the tournament and a bit of hangover of the few tournaments before I think it probably reached the end of the road foe me and my captaincy, is a shame, I'm sad about that.'
The England and Wales Cricket Board has sacked its data analysts, Freddie Wilde and Nathan Leamon, weeks ahead of the Test series against India, as head coach Brendon McCullum wants to put more emphasis on gut feeling and intuition.
The altercation between head coach Gautam Gambhir and Oval's chief curator Lee Fortis happened after the visitors were asked to stand "2.5 metres from the wicket."
Injuries in the squad prevented England from training ahead of the last two One-Day Internationals against India, coach Brendon McCullum said.
The five-match Test series against India at home is a massive test for England's 'Bazball' brand of cricket under skipper Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum.
Former wicketkeeper batter Dinesh Karthik believes Shubman Gill is yet to realise the 'enormity' of what it means to be India's Test captain.
Besides the surface, the behaviour of the Dukes has also come under scanner with the softer ball hardly offering anything to the bowlers.
Ahead of England's five-match Test series against India at home, head coach Brendon McCullum hailed young all-rounder Jacob Bethell
This chase marked the sixth time under the Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum leadership that England had hauled in targets of 250 or more in the fourth innings.
Former West Indies skipper Denesh Ramdin feels the role of wicketkeepers has evolved over the years since Adam Gilchrist came into prominence.
England pacer Brydon Carse is expecting the transitioning Indian team to put up a strong fight in the five-match Test series despite the recent retirement of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, thanks to their "huge depth".
Gill's magnificence. Siraj and Akash's brilliance. Jadeja's class. Jaiswal and Rahul's success. Stokes' toss blunder. Root's failures.
Across five fiercely contested Tests, more than 7,000 runs were scored, including a record-equalling 21 individual centuries. Every match stretched into a gripping fifth day. The sun shone, the stands were full, and the cricket -- emotional, enthralling, and endlessly unpredictable -- captured imaginations around the world.
In a must-win situation to keep the five-match series alive, England would be hoping to put a much improved performance with the bat.
Abhishek Sharma's Father Breaks Superstition, Witnesses Record-Breaking Knock in Hyderabad
Joe Root returned to England's one-day international squad for the first time since their ill-fated World Cup title defence in November
The spotlight will be firmly on Mohammed Shami as the Indian team contemplates his inclusion in the playing XI.
England coach Brendon McCullum on Monday described his Indian counterpart Gautam Gambhir as a "strong leader of men", backing him to achieve success with the national team in near future.
Tim Southee equalled West Indies great Chris Gayle's tally of sixes in Test cricket to move to joint-fourth spot in the all-time list.
England wicketkeeper Jordan Cox has been ruled out of the three-Test series against New Zealand after fracturing his thumb in a net session during a tour match in Queenstown.
England Test head coach Brendon McCullum will also take charge of their white-ball teams from January next year, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Tuesday.
England Test captain Ben Stokes has welcomed coach Brendon McCullum being given additional charge of the country's limited-overs sides.
Harry Brook said that England's batters will look to apply constant pressure on India's bowlers during the second T20I in Chennai on Saturday.
England captain Jos Buttler is confident that the upcoming T20I series against India will not impact their preparation for the Champions Trophy.
Both Morgan and Watson believe Rohit Sharma's team has the necessary firepower to win the title.
The first T20I between India and England at Eden Gardens was a significant event for multiple reasons.
The left-hander clobbered eight sixes and five fours in his scintillating 79 off 34 balls as India chased down a modest 133-run target in 12.5 overs.
England star batsman Joe Root has expressed his confidence in the team's approach under coach Brendon McCullum, saying the 'Bazball' philosophy perfectly complements the players' skills. Root, returning to England's ODI setup for the series against India, sees endless possibilities for the team under McCullum's guidance. He highlighted the exciting blend of skills within the squad and believes this team has the potential to achieve great things.
Greg Chappell hails Harry Brook, compares him to Sachin Tendulkar in an ode to England's bright future
Curran hasn't played for England since he featured in a white-ball series against the West Indies in November last year and was recently overlooked for the side's ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign
England secured a 26-run victory over India in the third T20I in Rajkot on Tuesday to stay alive in the five-match series.
Jos Buttler joins greats Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara as players who failed to translate their many individual triumphs into success as captains.
Phillips' remarkable reach and agility on the field can be attributed to genes and his stint as a gymnast in his younger days.
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