Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna simply refused to give up. Battling tired legs and aching bodies, the India seamers hurled their team back into contention against the England side in the 5th and final Test match of the series.
Defending just 57 runs going into the final session of Day 4, Siraj and Prasidh Krishna helped India stage a riveting comeback in the final Test match at The Oval. Down and out of the game and the series after twin hundreds from Joe Root and Harry Brook, the Shubman Gill-led team simply refused to give up, despite the odds stacked against them.
In the final session of play, where India needed 6 wickets to win the Test match, Siraj and Prasidh Krishna bowled mind-boggling spells, keeping India alive in the game.
Both the pacers bowled body-breaking spells, rotating each other through the attack. While Prasidh Krishna had clocked 22.2 overs in the innings, Siraj bowled 26. When the shoulders of the Indian team had dropped, Siraj and Prasidh Krishna lit up and bowled absolute rippers at the English batters, breaking the game open on Sunday.
It all started with Prasidh Krishna, who continued to believe in himself despite leaking runs through the day. A rash shot from Jacob Bethell broke the game open for India, giving them a rare chance to make a comeback.
Prasidh Krishna capitalised on the wicket and bowled a riveting spell of two overs, making the ball talk against the English batters. Prasidh Krishna’s spell uplifted Siraj’s spirits, who bowled some exceptional balls to keep the batters in check at the other end. India were rewarded with the wicket of Joe Root, whose lapse of concentration resulted in an outside edge back to the keeper. The wicket had the Indian fans at the ground buzzing, adding to the team’s belief at The Oval.
The fans on social media went berserk, hailing Prasidh Krishna and Siraj for their exceptional resilience on Sunday, August 3. The duo’s never-say-die attitude helped India make a stunning comeback into the game at a time when not a lot of people gave the side a chance in the Test match. England’s mainstay batter Joe Root who unluckily got dismissed on 105 runs with England in a dominant position to win a historic test match was in all praise of Prasidh Krishna despite a verbal spat in the 1st innings.
Prasidh Krishna is a proven performer- Joe Root
Indian cricket team fast bowler Prasidh Krishna shared a big moment with England batter Joe Root during Day 4 of the fifth Test match at The Oval on Sunday. The two cricketers were involved in a war of words during the first innings which ultimately led to the involvement of on-field umpires.
However, during the second innings, their interactions were a bit more friendly. Root came out to bat after Prasidh Krishna dismissed Ben Duckett and was able to take a single on the very first ball. The two cricketers had a small chat as Root completed the run with Prasidh Krishna giving a smile before making his way to his bowling mark.
Joe Root also reserved words of appreciation for Mohammed Siraj’s bowling partner , Prasidh Krishna who dismissed him in the 73rd over of the innings. The pair had a brief altercation during the first innings , and the batter confirmed that his frustration after losing his wicket stemmed from the fact that he failed to get his team over the line, and not because he lost out to the Indian pacer.
“Prasidh is a proven performer, he is a brilliant player. You don’t play for India as a seamer without having a huge amount of talent. Clearly he is going to do great things in the game, but it was not anything between the two of us, that was more frustration from my part for not getting us over the line. That is where the frustration came from. There was no overhang from what happened in the first innings or anything like that,” he added.
Prasidh Krishna impressed with the ball on day 4, ending the day with three wickets to his name. Mohammed Siraj took two wickets, with Akash Deep striking once as well. The visitors will be hoping to put in their best performance on the final day of the series.
India need 4 wickets to win the final Test match at Oval and level the series. England, on the other hand, need only 35 runs to win the Test match. India had the momentum in the final session of the game, before bad light stopped play. India and its fans will be hoping for yet another spirited display of bowling from the seamers in the opening session on Monday, August 4, the final day of the Test series.
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