“Every ball counts” is the much-derided motto of The Hundred, although whether slogan or format gets more criticism is debatable.

But it was certainly the case on the final morning of England’s thrilling final Test against India at the Kia Oval last week, when the home side needed 35 for victory with four wickets remaining, only to lose by six runs.

Each delivery felt like an event and it was noticeable that the massive building site adjacent to the ground, where the old gasholder is being transformed into “The Halo” apartment block, went eerily quiet. Builders and crane drivers took a somewhat early lunch to watch the final hour of an engrossing series, much as crowds gathered round TV rental shops at some of the key moments of Botham’s Ashes in 1981. You can’t find a branch of Radio Rentals or Visionhire for love or money these days.

It was only right that the series should finish 2-2 given the way India battled back from what appeared to be a likely defeat in the previous match at Old Trafford, claiming an easy draw in the end.

And they looked likely losers at The Oval too, Shubman Gill having lost a fifth successive toss – shades of Alec Stewart in the 1998-99 Ashes – and finding his team sent in.

Equally, while England can take great satisfaction from the part they played in the series, they should be kicking a large dent in their own shins for giving away powerful positions in that final match. At 129 for one in the first innings, they should have sailed past India’s 224 all out.

And needing that 374 – which would have been some way above the previous highest successful chase in a Test on the ground – centuries from Joe Root and Harry Brook meant they occupied the pound seats at 301 for three, yet withered again horribly.

The best teams simply don’t give away those positions. It should not have needed Chris Woakes, in great pain just running after his shoulder dislocation on the opening day, to make a heroic entry and almost help Gus Atkinson – whose haul of wickets in the first innings had marked a wholly satisfactory return after injury – to try to remedy the situation.

Someone had joked at tea on day four that Woakes might yet have to emulate Colin Cowdrey, who struggled on to the field at Lord’s in 1963 to help secure a draw against West Indies after breaking his arm, without dreaming it could happen.

Had that final pair succeeded, it is likely English supporters might anoint the series with the same glory as Botham’s Ashes or the 2005 win against Australia. Unfortunately, the subjectivity which affects sport will probably see it ranked just below.

Both sets of seam bowlers deserved medals for their performances at The Oval. India, rather surprisingly, chose to only play three despite being 2-1 down in the series, fielding an extra batter instead, and missing their kingpin Jasprit Bumrah because of his dodgy back.

The Woakes injury reduced England to three as well. With skipper Ben Stokes out through a shoulder muscle tear, they dared not risk Jofra Archer or Brydon Carse given their exhaustion but Atkinson claimed his Ashes place this winter. Whether Surrey colleague Jamie Overton or Josh Tongue will go, we shall discover next month.

By Richard Spiller