India, Aug. 2 -- The fifth Test at The Oval isn't just a decider in the cricketing sense. What began in Leeds with a gritty, statement-making win for England has morphed into one of the most emotionally charged bilateral contests in modern cricket. India vs England is no longer just a fixture between two quality Test teams. It's starting to feel like a rivalry on the cusp of Ashes-level ferociousness.

When Gautam Gambhir clashed with Lee Fortis over pitch preparation ahead of the fifth Test, it looked, on the surface, like a heavyweight picking on a featherweight. But that incident, trivial in isolation, wasn't just an outburst. It was also the consequence of four brutally competitive Tests, with the previous two also seeing tensions sim...