The moments that made the memories at the Heart of Cricket
How India's historic win at The Oval reaffirmed the joy of Test cricket for this fan
The Indian fans hold a massive flag in the stands • PA Photos/Getty Images
We now live at a stone's throw from The Oval, so I wasn't going to miss this game. With the series delicately in balance, an Indian team that must have been equally buzzing and hurting after Lord's and Leeds, I was looking forward to a great time at the ground, and the prospects of enjoying the lunch break with aloo parathas at home.
Here we were - 4th Test, day five - with all the four results possible. I left for the stadium early and even then the streets from Vauxhall station were packed. The stands were full well before Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja started the proceedings. Schools and offices in the UK are now fully open - and one could sense that there were more than a few bunked classes, a few sick leaves and work-from-home requests that would have enabled those in the stands to be there.
Whoever said Test cricket is on a decline needed to be at The Oval. Most of the fans were in their seats before the start of play. Not just the usual faithful but also young kids and families were all around. The stands were packed to the rafters all five days.
To a cricket fan, The Oval does not have the history and reverence that Lord's enjoys, but it does almost always assure an incredible atmosphere and a buzz - slightly rebellious and much less formal than the "Home of Cricket".
By far, the best cricketing performance of the day belonged to the smiling assassin, Bumrah. He has such an energy about him - the way he bowls, and then turns almost hurrying to his mark and smiling all the way back - it is hard not to love him. In many ways, he is very similar to how Neil Wagner, another much-loved character, goes about his business.
The last time India won at The Oval was when Bangladesh had just become a nation, Sunil Gavaskar had made his debut a few months back, India still played three-four spinners overseas, and my parents weren't even married - and I am not young by any standards! By all measures, this was a historic win. But more importantly, it reaffirmed the joy of Test cricket - for how it unfolds over many sessions and days, and how a day (or two) at the cricket beats almost everything else. The Oval might not be the Home of Cricket, but for the last five days, for me and for many others - it was the "Heart of Cricket"!
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A passionate cricket fan, investment banker and entrepreneur based in London, Amit supports India and is often at the grounds watching a good game between any two sides in any format.