By Kartikey Tripathi | Haridwar
We waited. For the rain to stop. For the covers to come off. For the match to finally begin. And then we waited again, through drizzle, forecasts, and that weird silence in the air where you don’t know if play will happen or not. Around me, the chatter had turned spiritual. Someone nearby murmured something about prayers being answered — maybe the rain would force a draw. Another guy next to me casually said he had put ₹100 on 1xBet for a draw.
But they didn’t know what we knew. That something bigger was happening here. That somewhere above us, Bharat Mata and Ganpati Bappa had decided today wasn’t going to be about rain. It was going to be about redemption. About a team breaking a 91-year-old record, on a ground that had always belonged to England – until now.
And leading that charge was a young man who bowled like his life depended on it — Akashdeep. 10 wickets in a single Test match. At Edgbaston. In just his third Test. You could sense it from the first over he bowled — he wasn’t just running in to pick wickets. He was running in with a purpose much deeper than what the scorecard would show.
And we found out why.
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In the post-match press conference, when the media was throwing questions at him about how it felt to pick ten wickets, he held the mic for a moment longer. Then, with tears in his eyes, he said, “This one’s for my sister. She’s been fighting cancer for the past two months. I just wanted to give her something to smile about.”
You could hear a pin drop in that room. He didn’t say much after that. He didn’t need to. Because in that moment, everyone in the room, everyone watching back home, knew what this match meant to him.
It was bigger than stats. Bigger than five-for or match awards. It was personal.
And that’s what made this win even more special.
Siraj bowled like a storm, Gill batted like a king, scoring 430 runs across both innings, and Akashdeep — he turned Edgbaston into a story he’ll one day tell his children. A story not just of wickets, but of courage, love, and fighting spirit.
By the time the win was near, the entire stadium had turned into a sea of tricolours. Chants of Bharat Mata ki Jai were louder than ever. People were standing on chairs, holding flags, singing, and crying. It wasn’t wild chaos — it was emotional. It was a collective letting go of years of heartbreak at this ground.
And once the final runs were hit, there was silence — just for a second — before the place erupted.
You could see strangers hugging. You could hear someone blow a conch shell from the stands. Some fans stood still, frozen in the moment. It was that kind of win. The one that makes you stop and soak it all in.
As everyone began leaving, Gambhir quietly walked onto the field. No noise, no drama. Just a man taking in the ground where his team made history. And then, Shubman Gill stepped out too. Walked across the empty grass, looked around, and raised a hand to the few who were still there. The weight of 430 runs and a victory that’ll live forever, sitting lightly on his young shoulders.
This wasn’t just a win. This was a statement. This was history. And in the heart of it stood Akashdeep — a brother, a warrior, a hero.
Edgbaston is no longer just a venue; it's a destination. It’s ours now. Forever.