Harbhajan Singh: Former cricketer Harbhajan Singh took a brutal dig at former England captain Michael Vaughan for his series prediction. India beat England in the fifth and final Test at The Oval to level the series 2-2.
Despite the series ending in a draw, Harbhajan reckoned that the visitors walked away with a big win. Given they had a new captain and a young team, several former cricketers had predicted that England would win the series. Michael Vaughan made a 3-1 prediction in the hosts’ favor.
Post the result, Harbhajan Singh asked Vaughan to have a look at their team and where their cricket stands.
“I feel there is a big win hidden for India here. Yes, the scoreline shows 2-2. Michael Vaughan and many others predicted that it would be 3-1 or 3-0. I would tell them to look towards their side a bit and where England cricket stands. Our warriors have shown the level of Indian cricket,” he said on his YouTube channel.
For an Indian team that is in transition without the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin, who all retired from the format within the last eight months, an overseas series draw in England was no less than a win.
Harbhajan Singh lauds India for stunning win at The Oval
Harbhajan Singh was impressed with India’s performance in the fifth Test at The Oval and throughout the series. There were concerns raised as the team was young and did not have the presence of senior players. However, Shubman Gill’s young brigade showcased their mettle and grit.
“Unbelievable Test match and the way India have played the series, they deserve praise. When the team went to England, many people said it is young and there are no seniors. But see how the young team created history,” he said.
Harbhajan reckoned that Yashasvi Jaiswal’s hundred and Akash Deep’s fifty in the second innings turned the game for the visitors. They got to 396 and set England a target of 374 in the final innings. The hosts came close but fell short as India won by six runs.
Mohammed Siraj led the charge and returned figures of 5/104 in the second innings. Prasidh Krishna played a key role as well and picked up four wickets.
