India thrashed England by an innings and 64 runs to win the fifth and final test match at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium on Saturday, securing a dominant 4-1 series victory.
Rohit Sharma, who missed the final innings due to a stiff back, acknowledged the team effort behind the resounding win.
"When you win a Test like this, everything has to fall into place," Sharma said at the post-match presentation. "At some stage, players will come and go, and we know that."
The Indian captain praised his young stars, who stepped up in the absence of established veterans. Sharma (103) and Shubman Gill (110) set the stage for the win on the second day with a 171-run second-wicket partnership, putting pressure on the England bowlers. Rookie batsman Sarfaraz Khan (56) and debutant Devdutt Padikkal (65) also made valuable contributions.
"These guys might be short on experience, but they've played a lot of cricket," Sharma said. "I can see they responded well under pressure. The credit goes to the entire team, and it was pleasing to see. When you win a series like this, scoring runs and centuries are important, but taking 20 wickets is crucial to winning a Test. The way the bowlers took responsibility was pleasing to see."
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Sharma also singled out Kuldeep Yadav and Yashasvi Jaiswal, highlighting their potential for India's future.
"We've had conversations with Kuldeep over time," Sharma said. "He's got a lot of potential. When the pressure was on in the first innings, he bowled really well. After his injury, he came back and worked hard at the NCA, and he's putting in a lot of effort. The most pleasing thing was his batting."
"Jaiswal's got a long way to go, but it's amazing to be in this position," Sharma added. "When a guy's got talent like that who can put pressure on the bowlers right from the start, there will be many challenges going forward. He's a tough guy who loves challenges. It's been a clearly superb series for him, and he likes to score big runs."
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