India head coach Gautam Gambhir was all praises for his wards after they pulled off a hard-fought draw in the Manchester Test against England despite conceding a huge first innings lead of 311 runs.

A 188-run stand between captain Shubman Gill and KL Rahul kept the visitors in the contest before Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja earned a spirited draw with an unbeaten 203-run partnership.

After the game, Gambhir addressed a press conference, where he stressed the importance of current Indian players making their own history rather than following anyone from the past.

Asked whether he delivered a pep talk after the fourth day’s play and made a reference to his match-saving 137 against New Zealand in Napier back in 2009, Gambhir responded in the negative.

"Look, the first thing is that I don't remember any of my knocks, that has become history. I think they should make their own history. Honestly, no one in this team will follow anyone or want to follow. They should make their own history.

"They want to fight for the common man back home. And the important thing is that the way a lot of people had written us off in this Test match, this is the foundation of this team.

"These are characters who are sitting in this dressing room, wanting to fight for the country and they will continue to do that," Gambhir told reporters.

Managing a draw from the verge of defeat would give India an edge heading into the fifth and final Test in London, reckoned Gambhir.

"It will. Because when you see, when you're put under the pressure, when you're put under the pump and you end up adding five sessions, I think that's a great character. And anything that you do in these conditions, when you're put under pressure and you come out of those pressure moments, it is always a great feeling.

"And it just ends up giving a lot of confidence in the dressing room as well. And I'm sure, I think going into Oval, I think we will be high on confidence, but we can't take anything for granted," he remarked.

After the retirements of R Ashwin, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in last six months, the Indian Test team is going through a transition phase under new captain Shubman Gill. However, Gambhir doesn't see it that way.

"Good you used that word transition but I don't see it like that because it is still an Indian team. This is the best 18 that is going to represent. It is only experience and inexperience.

"And that is how we see this. But the most important thing is that these guys got to learn a lot from what they did today.

"Because being under pressure, batting five sessions is never easy on day five of the Test against an attack like England. And then coming out with a draw and only losing four wickets...," he said.

The Oval will host the finale of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, slated to start on July 31.