India vs England | Joe Root credits Moeen Ali and Sam Curran for Southampton win

Making a comeback to the English Test side, all-rounder Moeen Ali picked up four wickets on the penultimate day of the fourth Test to restrict India 60-run short of their target of 245. After a five-wicket haul in the first innings, Ali ended up with figures of 4 for 71 in the second claiming the all-important wickets of Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane to tilt the game in England's favour. The English skipper termed Ali's match-winning effort as one of the best in his career.

"Today was probably the best I have seen him (Moeen) bowl in an England shirt. Such a testament to how he's gone about things. That strength and depth of the squad really excites me. When you're in the form he's in, it's a nice luxury to have (about playing him at three)," Root said after the match, reported TOI.

The English skipper also lauded the contribution of all-rounder Curran whose knocks of 78 and 46 were very crucial for the hosts in both innings. Curran ensured that the English ended up with a good score of 246 in the first innings after coming into bat with the team struggling at 86/6. He repeated his performance in the second innings with a nifty 46 to hand India a competitive target.

Root was also pleased with the performances of his bowlers, who for a second time in the series managed to restrict the Indian batting lineup while defending a par score. 

"For a young guy (Curran) to have such an influence is outstanding. Credit to the group, they were outstanding throughout. From being up against it on the first morning, character has been a massive strength of this team. Then the skill level to back it up has been phenomenal.

"For the seamers, it was about hitting the surface as hard as possible and for spinners, it was about being as aggressive as possible. Keep the catchers in and trust that there would be one ball that would turn the game around. The way we went about how to approach the day's play was outstanding," Root mentioned.

Ali, who last played Test cricket in March 2018 against the Kiwis, said that he had missed Test cricket and is now quite satisfied to come back into the squad and contribute to a winning cause. Playing for Worcestershire, Ali was impressive both with the bat and ball that earned him a Test call-up for the matches against India.

"It was great to be back. I have missed Test cricket a lot. Needed a break. Just to appreciate everything in general. To enjoy my cricket again. When I was watching the guys at home, I missed it. Great to come back and contribute to winning a game. Playing in England for a while now, back myself a bit more.

"Got more confidence from county cricket. Done a lot of hard work with Saqlain (spin consultant Saqlain Mushtaq). Feel like I'm getting better as a spinner everyday. When they were about eight down, Root asked me if I fancied it (batting at three). Did enjoy the 15 balls I faced. If I do bat there again, I need to tighten up. Something I'm not thinking much about," Ali said after the game.