Why this series draw was more heroic than 2021-22

It will be near impossible for any Indian Test win to touch the heights of Gabba 2021 because of the acute scarcity of resources with which it was achieved.

- Rasesh Mandani

But the Oval Test win on Monday that levelled the series presented serious challenges to the bowlers, and the manner in which India's pacers passed the endurance test has earned them a rightful place in the echelons of the country's best Test performances.

Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep bowled 126 of India's 136 overs at The Oval. In the England second innings, the trio was forced to go to 'dark places' as Ben Stokes had described his travails taking on a heavy bowling workload after breaking down before the final Test. Deep, who suffered a groin strain at Lord's, needed injections to play in the final Test. Siraj, in his fifth successive match, refused to give up belief. Prasidh, battling issues with accuracy, persevered and ultimately found his sweet spot on the pitch.