The fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy between India and England at The Oval began not with a bat or ball, but with a coin and an all-too-familiar outcome. For the 15th consecutive time across formats, India lost the toss, as Shubman Gills call went awry yet again. This marked his fifth toss loss in a row as Test captain and Indias 15th straight across formats a statistical anomaly with odds of 1 in 32,678.
As Englands stand-in skipper Ollie Pope leading in place of the injured Ben Stokes won his first toss in five matches, former England captain and now commentator Michael Atherton didnt hold back his humor in the commentary box. Turning to Ravi Shastri, who conducted all five tosses as broadcaster, Atherton quipped, You are doing these tosses. Youll get sacked.
Shastri, now back in the commentary box after his coaching tenure, chuckled and responded with a grin, noting, When the coin landed, he (Gill) did not look up.
Despite the weight of the bizarre streak, Shubman Gill showed admirable composure, stating in the post-toss interview: Dont mind losing the toss as long as we win the game. He added, It was a bit overcast yesterday, but the wicket looks good. Well look to post good runs in the first innings. It should be a good pitch for the bowlers.
India made four significant changes to the playing XI, bringing in Dhruv Jurel, Karun Nair, Akash Deep, and Prasidh Krishna for Rishabh Pant, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, and Jasprit Bumrah. For England, Pope led a new-look team in the absence of key pacers Stokes and Jofra Archer.
Green Pitch, Grey Skies, and Early Trouble
Inserted to bat on a green-topped wicket, India were tested early by Englands pace attack. Gus Atkinson, playing his first match of the series, made an immediate impact by trapping Yashasvi Jaiswal in front. Though the decision was overturned on review, Jaiswal soon fell for just 2.
KL Rahul, Indias most consistent batter in the series, followed shortly after for 14, chopping on while attempting a cut off Chris Woakes. At 36 for 2, India looked vulnerable, but Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan steadied the innings with calm and class.
Gill, chasing Sunil Gavaskars long-standing record for most runs in a bilateral series, looked assured at the crease, finding boundaries with a short-arm pull and an elegant cover drive. Sudharsan, composed on debut, played a mature supporting role as India reached 72 for 2 by lunch, which came early due to a brief rain interruption.
Statistical Sideshow, But Stakes Still High
Indias toss debacle has now drawn parallels with another painful memory: the 2018 England tour, where India also lost all five tosses in a Test series the only other such instance in the 21st century. Interestingly, this is now only the 14th time in Test history that a team has lost all five tosses in a five-match series.
But Shubman Gill isn't letting the coin dictate the narrative. Drawing inspiration from Rohit Sharma, who led India to the 2025 Champions Trophy title without winning a single toss, Gills mindset remains focused on performance, not probabilities.
