Ajit and team pushed and challenged us to pick some of these young players: Rahul Dravid

Despite facing various hurdles and transitions, India emerged victorious in the series, clinching a commendable 4-1 triumph against the Three Lions. Wrestling with unavailability of key players, the team introduced five fresh faces, displaying their tenacity and fluidity.

Coach Rahul Dravid, acknowledging the selectors' pivotal role, expressed gratitude for their relentless efforts in encouraging and pushing the team to pick young players who eventually performed well during the series.

"I'd just like to give a big shoutout to Ajit [Agarkar, Chairman of Selectors] and his team as well," Dravid said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

"A lot of the youngsters that come in, honestly, as a coach and as a captain, we don't actually get to see them because we don't see as much domestic cricket as Ajit and his team of selectors do. And they've pushed us and they've challenged us to pick some of these young players and they've picked the right ones and they've come out here and performed. So sometimes, it's not easy being a selector because you always get the criticism but a big credit and a big pat on the back to Ajit and his team as well," Dravid added.

Despite missing key players like Mohammed Shami, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mohammed Siraj at various points, India showcased remarkable depth and talent. Dravid credited the selectors for identifying and nurturing the right talents.

One such selection that stood out was Dhruv Jurel, the wicketkeeper with only 18 first-class matches under his belt. In the absence of Pant and with Ishan Kishan unavailable, Jurel's stellar performance in Ranchi where he played critical knocks of 90* and 39 and grabbed three opportunities behind the stumps earned him the Player-of-the-Match award.

Also Read: 'It's not about conditions, I rely on my skills' - Kuldeep Yadav after ripping England apart in Dharamsala Test

Amidst the influx of newcomers, players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Kuldeep Yadav played vital roles. Jaiswal's prolific batting earned him the Player-of-the-Series award, becoming only the second Indian batter to score 700 or more in a series. Kuldeep, with a swift 50 Test wickets, showcased his potential as a match-winner in the longest format of the game.

We know that he can be a match-winner on his day: Rohit Sharma

Captain Rohit Sharma also praised the young talents for their exceptional skills, emphasising the importance of encouraging players with the ability to pressurise bowlers from the start. He expressed a wish to cultivate and propel such talent within the team and the team's resolute mindset.

"It was a long conversation [with Kuldeep when he was down and out]. It's not maybe once or twice. It was over a period of time that we had conversations with him. Certainly, has got a lot of potential. We know that he can be a match-winner on his day. We saw in the first innings where chips were down a little bit. He came and bowled pretty well." Rohit said for Kuldeep.

"He's got something about him, which we all need to be happy about. After his injury - he had a knee injury a couple of years back - he has worked hard at NCA, worked with his coaches, and is putting a lot of body into the ball, which is good to see. The most pleasing was his batting through the series," he added.