Star pacer Mohammed Siraj powered India’s win for the ages over England at The Oval on August 4. Mohammed Siraj took a series-defining five-wicket haul, as India beat England in the 5th and final Test. Chasing 374, England were cruising on 301/3, before India bounced back.
Mohammed Siraj took three wickets on Day 5 to seal India’s historic 6-run win.
Following the match, Mohammed Siraj was adjudged the Player of the Match. The right-arm seamer also bowled impressive spells in the first innings. He took 4/86 from 16.2 overs, having bowled in tandem with Prasidh Krishna.Mohammed Siraj finished as the highest wicket-taker of the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy between England and India.
The Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj featured in all five Tests and bowled a staggering 185.3 overs. He took 23 wickets at an average of 32.43. His tally includes 2 fifers. Notably, Mohammed Siraj led India’s pace attack in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah at Edgbaston and The Oval.
No other bowler took more than 20 wickets in the series. It was a riveting series but a test match to be remembered for ages to review as follows.
Pitch Report and Toss
Pitch report: “Captains always bowl first here. Surrey also don’t play a front-line spinner here. Good covering of grass but there are also some bare patches. There’s live grass on the surface for the first time in the series but the seamers cannot get carried away by it” reckons Nasser Hussain in his pitch report.
Toss : England stand-in skipper Ollie Pope won the toss and chose to bowl with as many as four changes in the Playing XI bringing in Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell , Josh Tongue and Jamie Overton for Ben Stokes , Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer and Liam Dawson. Indian skipper Shubman Gill batting first also made four changes in the Playing XI bringing in Karun Nair, Dhruv Jurel , AkashDeep and Prasidh Krishna for Shardul Thakur, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah and Anshul Kamboj.
Day 1 : Karun Nair’s fifty steadies India on green-top as England’s inexperience in the bowling shows
This was India’s 15th toss loss in men’s internationals this year, and the fifth in a row in this series. As has been the trend, it meant another brush with the pointy end of conditions. Both openers fell in a rain-curtailed first session, which saw just 23 overs bowled. Yashasvi Jaiswal was trapped by a sharp nip-backer from Atkinson, given out on review, as stand-in skipper Ollie Pope, having just won his first toss in five attempts, got his first successful referral in 14 tries.
Atkinson gave away just seven runs in a tight six-over burst to help set the tone. Woakes looked off-colour early on, but switched ends and eventually found rhythm. He cramped KL Rahul for room with a hard-length ball that jagged back in and forced a chop-on.
Only six overs were possible between Lunch and Tea, but they included Gill’s run-out, a big blow considering his recent form. Especially because he and Sai Sudharsan had added calm during a 45-run stand built on sharp singles and punishing anything too full or too short.
After Tea, Tongue produced two outstanding deliveries to left-handers. Sudharsan and Ravindra Jadeja could do little but edge steeply bouncing deliveries on off stump. At 123 for 5, India had their lowest first-innings score at the fall of the fifth wicket in this series but given how tough the conditions were for batting, they still looked relatively in control, a sentiment they took back to the dressing room at the end of day’s play.
Dhruv Jurel and Nair added 30 brisk runs for the sixth wicket before the wicketkeeper-batter fell to a half-cut, half-punch that caught the edge to slips, where Harry Brook took a good catch. Nair, brought in for Shardul Thakur, and Washington Sundar, the centurion from the gritty draw in Manchester, then settled in and cashed in on a poor phase from England, who repeatedly missed their lines and leaked runs on both sides of the wicket. Thirty of India’s 204 runs on the day came in extras.
Late in the day, Nair brought up his half-century with a glance to backward square leg and India will hope that he and Sundar carry the fight into Day 2 and push the total into more comfortable territory.
After four dud pitches, the series finale finally stirred to life with a green-top under low, grey skies at The Oval, just as you’d expect in England. That Karun Nair chose the toughest batting conditions of the summer to score his first fifty of the series said plenty about him, but also about an Indian side that ended the 64-over opening day of the fifth and final Test at 204 for 6.
Three of the six wickets fell to unforced errors, including a run out of captain Shubman Gill, who had looked assured in hostile conditions and set a smart template for tap-and-run cricket when runs were hard to come by. But he misjudged one and lost his stumps to a direct hit from Gus Atkinson, the standout bowler of the day who could do little wrong.
England would know this was the kind of pitch tailormade for quick all-outs but wayward lines and lengths cost them, evidence of an attack still wet behind the ears. Josh Tongue picked up two wickets but leaked runs at 3.6 an over, while Jamie Overton looked short of rhythm and was expensive in these conditions, going at 4.1. Chris Woakes, clutching his shoulder after a tumble in the outfield and walking off in pain, only added to their growing list of concerns later in the day.
Day 2 : Mohammed Siraj and Yashasvi Jaiswal script stirring turnaround for India on second day
It was a morning session of mayhem on Day 2Â as India lost their last four wickets in just 28 minutes. Josh Tongue struck early by trapping Karun Nair in front, removing the overnight batter before Atkinson wrapped up the innings with three quick wickets to complete his five-wicket haul. Washington Sundar fell to a short-ball trap, while Siraj was bowled and Prasidh Krishna edged behind to deliveries they had no answers to. India could add only 20 runs to their overnight tally, with a fair share of those coming from extras and edges.
England’s reply was brutal. Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley came out blazing, taking the pitch out of the equation and brought up the team fifty in just seven overs, the joint-fastest in a first innings against India. By Lunch, the score had surged to 109 for 1. It was also the third-fastest team hundred against India in Test history, scored at nearly seven an over in conditions still offering bounce and seam.
Despite the help on offer, India’s bowlers looked out of rhythm. Crawley used his reach, Duckett used his feet and angles, and together they went past the 932 runs tallied by Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss, the most by an England opening pair against India.
Duckett’s defining moment came early, when he edged Akash Deep in the fourth over only to see it fall between backward point and gully. Next ball, he reverse-scooped Akash Deep over the slips – the earliest such stroke in a Test innings since Sam Konstas played it against Jasprit Bumrah at the MCG last year.
Ironically, it was the same shot that brought about his dismissal, again off Akash Deep, but not before England had already posted 92. Crawley kept going though, reaching a 42-ball half-century, his 19th in Tests and third of the series, before his dismissal post Lunch allowed India a way back into the match.
India made subtle but crucial adjustments after the break; they pitched the ball half a metre fuller, bowled straighter and finally got the conditions to work for them. Prasidh Krishna made amends to his fledgling tour and delivered the breakthrough for India in the second session, getting a well-set Zak Crawley to miscue a pull off a ball that climbed on him and took the top edge.
Mohammed Siraj replaced Akash Deep and made an immediate impact, striking with his fourth ball. Ollie Pope was trapped in front by an in-ducker that came in sharply. Joe Root, who looked uneasy and had already exchanged words with Prasidh, also fell lbw, unable to bring his bat down in time to a length ball that jagged in. Mohammed Siraj then produced a stunning inswinging yorker from over the wicket to trap Jacob Bethell plumb on the boot. His marathon spell read: 8 overs, 3 wickets, 35 runs and a false shot percentage of 31.2.
Prasidh followed up well with a couple of wickets in the same over, first having Jamie Smith caught at second slip and then trapping Jamie Overton in front. Post Tea, Harry Brook played a few shots, including a falling scoop-sweep en route to his 13th Test fifty but fell soon after to who else but Mohammed Siraj as England went on to be bowled out for 247 in 51.2 overs, eking out a lead of 23 runs. Prasidh finished with 4 for 62.
Jaiswal’s intent was clear from the outset in India’s second innings, helping the visitors move into the lead in just 4.5 overs. Josh Tongue was impressive with his discipline, but Jaiswal took full toll of the width offered by Atkinson. He even launched a couple of sixes off Overton, slashing and ramping short balls to his advantage.
KL Rahul, for once loose outside off, edged an outswinger from Tongue to slip. But England were sloppy in the field in the final 45 minutes, dropping as many as three chances, including Jaiswal twice. Harry Brook put him down in the cordon, while Liam Dawson spilled one at deep backward square leg. England finally had some success when Atkinson trapped Sai Sudharsan lbw, but by then, the momentum had swung. For a side that had dominated the morning, England ended the day quite stunningly behind in the game.
Mohammed Siraj’s inspired, large-hearted eight-over spell on the second afternoon helped India claw their way back in the fifth and final Test. His figures of 4 for 86 came after a punishing morning where the visitors were bowled out for 224, with Gus Atkinson picking up a five-for, and then conceding a whirlwind 100 inside 15 overs.
India’s six-wicket burst in the second session allowed them to bowl England out for 247, keeping the first-innings deficit to just 23. They followed it up with a much-improved second-innings effort, led by Yashasvi Jaiswal, who blazed to a 44-ball fifty to help stretch the lead to 52 with eight wickets still in hand.
Day 3 : Yashasvi Jaiswal ton and lower-order resistance sets up riveting series finale
That India were in a position to set such a target was down to the foundations laid by their overnight batters. Jaiswal converted his fifty into a measured hundred, his second of the series and fourth against England, while Akash, the nightwatch, frustrated England and raised three successive personal landmarks: his highest Test score, maiden international fifty (off 70 balls) and his best-ever first-class score. He also became the first Indian nightwatch to reach a half-century since Amit Mishra in 2011 at the same venue, against the same opponent.
Akash threw his hands freely at anything loose, unsettling both Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue, and went on to add 107 runs for the third wicket with Jaiswal. The stand was eventually broken by Jamie Overton, who drew a leading edge that carried to point, but by then India were firmly in control. Their 100 came up in just 23 overs as India added 114 runs in the morning session.
England struck back in that second session, taking three crucial wickets to claw some ground. The fightback began when Gus Atkinson dismissed Shubman Gill with the first ball of the session. Gill, who had looked composed, fell to an in-seaming, in-swinging delivery that trapped him in front, capping his series returns 20 runs short of Sunil Gavaskar’s long-standing record of 774 runs in a Test series for India.
Karun Nair’s short stay at the crease was jittery. He prodded at deliveries outside off, ducked into a few awkward bouncers and eventually gloved a rising ball from Atkinson to the keeper. Amidst the wickets, Jaiswal brought up his century with a nudge behind square, a fitting shot considering 82 of his first 100 runs came behind square, the most by any batter at the point of reaching a century in a sample of 1526 Test hundreds in the available database.
England delivered only nine overs of spin in the 88 they had to bowl and pushed their pacers into bowling multiple spells, a move that was eventually rewarded. Jaiswal, trying to upper cut once more, picked out third man and fell for 118, handing Tongue a much deserved wicket.
Jadeja, who had been dismissed only once in second innings across the series, survived an LBW call via DRS after being hit by a Tongue yorker; the review showed the impact was just outside off. He went on to complete yet another fifty before slashing a wide ball to Harry Brook in the slips, ending his second-innings average for the series at 315, second only to Gavaskar’s legendary 468 in 1971.
Dhruv Jurel added a fluent 34 off 46 before being undone by a delivery from Overton that pitched in line and straightened just enough to trap him LBW. But Washington Sundar ensured India kept piling on the runs. Washington took the short balls on, hooking and pulling into the stands at deep square. He raced to a 39-ball fifty, driving the full balls and riding the bounce with ease until he miscued one to mid-wicket to give Tongue his fifth wicket, and a second five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
England’s fielding woes continued throughout. Crawley dropped Akash early in the morning and later shelled another at slip off Karun, taking their total drops for the innings to six.
A sixth Test hundred from Yashasvi Jaiswal and contrasting fifties from Akash Deep, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar helped India set a formidable target of 374 for England in the series finale at The Oval.
The hosts have chased down a 370-plus target against India once already this series, but this time the openers began with restraint. Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley brought up the team fifty in 13 overs, a significant slowdown from the seven they took in the first innings, and were on course to see it through to Stumps until Mohammed Siraj struck late, sneaking in a full, fast yorker with the field set for the bouncer and breaching Crawley’s defences.
With the pitch still offering some help and with scoreboard pressure mounting, India have put themselves in a position from where they can push for a famous series-leveling win on Day 4. That is if England don’t Bazball their way to something improbable.
Day 4 : Harry Brook-Joe Root tons, Prasidh Krishna’s late burst set up tense finale on Day 5
With the ball in hand though, Mohammed Siraj hardly put a foot wrong, running in all day without the slightest drop in intensity. He began the day by troubling Ben Duckett from over the wicket, repeatedly beating the outside edge, before the opener finally chased a full delivery from Krishna and edged it to KL Rahul at slip.
Ollie Pope, the fidgety starter that he is, looked in good touch during a short stay, striking boundaries on either side of the ground including a pristine on-drive. But his innings ended with one of the more unplayable deliveries Mohammed Siraj has bowled this series: a wobble-seam ball that landed on the divots and jagged back viciously to trap him in front. That dismissal gave Mohammed Siraj his 20th wicket of the series, confirming his status as the leading wicket-taker.
Harry Brook’s hundred earlier in the day had tilted the game England’s way. It was his 10th Test hundred and the fastest fourth-innings century ever scored against India. That it came in a session that had hitherto been the most bowler-friendly passage of the match told a story. His knock, featuring 14 fours and two sixes, could have ended on 19 when he mistimed a short ball from Krishna to fine leg. mOHAMMED Siraj, who had just returned to the field after an inspired eight-over spell, completed the catch but stepped over the boundary rope.
Undeterred by the reprieve, Barry Brook went after Krishna again in the same over, swinging through the line and collecting two more boundaries. Unlike at Lord’s, where he lost his stumps attempting a sweep against a fast bowler, Brook showed better judgement here. Once Shubman Gill spread the field, he was content to tone things down while still scoring at over a run a ball.
His stand with Root flattened India in a 153-run afternoon session until an unforced error handed them a wicket. Brook got out on 111 when he charged down the track against Akash Deep and sliced the ball to Siraj, who held on comfortably this time. But by then, the damage had been done and India were left staring at yet another fourth-innings defeat defending a 370-plus total against England. They have lost two such matches in the last three years: Edgbaston 2022 and Headingley 2025.
England appeared firmly in control at Tea, riding on Harry Brook’s blistering 91-ball century and Joe Root’s unbeaten 98, which he soon converted into his 39th Test hundred. Their 195-run stand had wiped out most of the 374-run target and left India searching for answers on a pitch that still offered some assistance to the bowlers. But the mood shifted quickly after the break and a match that looked headed to a routine finish sprang to life.
The first breakthrough of the evening came when Jacob Bethell, looking to break free after scoring 5 off 30 balls, charged at Krishna and inside-edged onto his stumps. In Krishna’s next over, Root, having just reached his milestone, attempted a late dab to third man and edged behind, giving India a window of opportunity.
Seventeen false shots were induced in the space of seven overs after Tea as India’s fast bowlers summoned a final burst from their tired legs. And suddenly, Prasidh Krishna had two wickets in two overs and England were under pressure, with the ball thudding into the pads of Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton far more often than it met their bats.
For the fifth time in five Tests, this England-India series will go down to the final day. And just like the others, it offers no easy answers. At The Oval, England need a further 35 runs, India another four wickets, after a dramatic fourth day that met an anticlimactic, premature end due to bad light and rain.
Day 5 : Mohammed Siraj five seals Oval epic as India level historic series 2-2
Mohammed Siraj starred in a stunning come-from-behind win at The Oval as India levelled the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2-2 with a thrilling six-run victory on an overcast fifth morning in London. England needed 35 runs with four wickets in hand, one of which was Chirs Woakes with a dislocated right shoulder. Mohammed Siraj, however, got the ball to swing as much as two degrees amidst a drizzle, and picked up three wickets in a testing spell with the old ball to finish with a fifer that scripted a memorable win.
It was Harry Brook and Joe Root’s hundreds, and a 195-run stand, on Day 4 that gave England the upper hand before a short sharp spell of rain shortly after Tea forced action to spill into the fifth day. Prasidh Krishna resumed his over from last evening with a short ball first up, and Jamie Overton pulled him confidently to the fence to begin with a boundary. He almost chopped on the next ball, but the edge snuck over the stumps and into the fine leg ropes for four more.
India’s comeback started at the other end where Jamie Smith was beaten twice by Mohammed Siraj before he finally nicked one behind without adding anything to his overnight score of 2. Mohammed Siraj, and India, could have had a second wicket in as many deliveries but Gus Atinkson lucked out when the edge dropped just short of KL Rahul at second slip.
Overton’s luck then ran out. Siraj had him trapped in front of middle and leg with a nip-backer and saw umpire Kumar Dharmasena raise his finger after a moment of deliberation. Overton availed a review, only to find ‘umpire’s call’ on wickets and see the finger raised again. The review came to Josh Tongue’s rescue in the following over when he was adjudged LBW, off Prasidh, but the tracking found the ball to be going down leg.
Tongue, after a bunch of play-and-a-miss against Mohammed Siraj, was then cleaned up by a pinpoint yorker from Prasidh, leaving England 17 away with no option but to call on the injured Woakes. The allrounder walked out to a rousing applause – bat in the left hand and his dominant arm in a sling.
Atkinson did his part in ensuring Woakes stayed at the non-striker’s end. It involved refusing singles until the last deliveries of the overs, and targeting big hits – the very first attempt at which could have been caught in the deep but Akash Deep palmed it over for a six instead.Fittingly, it was Mohammed Siraj’s tenacity that prevailed over England’s last pair’s valiant fight. The pacer nailed a yorker to clean up Atkinson on 17, propelling India to a momentous win in front of a near capacity Oval.
Presentations and Takeaways from the series
Ben Stokes England ‘s skipper for the series said : Yeah, it’s obviously always difficult when you can’t participate in a game. Another hard-fought game down to day five. Both teams have put so much energy and effort into this whole series. It’s been an amazing one to be a part of. But yeah, obviously, bitterly disappointed that we couldn’t get over the line here. But yeah, a series that I’m very proud of my team, of everything that they’ve thrown into this.
We obviously would have loved to have come away with the series win, but it wasn’t meant to be. Yeah, no, I don’t think obviously when it got to the situation it did. There was never a question in Woakesy’s (Chris Woakes) mind about what he was going to do. He actually spent yesterday trying to figure out which way round if he had to face off, he was going to be left or right handed.
I think we’ve had guys go out with broken foot, we’ve had guys go out with broken fingers and we’ve had guys go out with just dislocated shoulders. I think it shows what it is to play for your country and try and win games for your country as well. But yeah, again, just such a hard-fought series from both teams. Myself and, I’m sure Shubman as well, is very proud of what their team has contributed towards this.
Yeah, it’s been awesome. You know, India-England is always a massive series. There’s always going to be moments where emotion comes out from both sides in particular when you get to a stage of the game where almost the game’s on the line. I’ve said it few times before, I don’t think any of my lads are going to be going to sleep crying over what was said.
And I don’t think any of the Indian players have been going to bed crying over what was said either. And I think it just shows that, you know, the passion and the desire that everyone who walks out representing their country with their nation’s flag on their chest means.
Yeah, it felt good. You know, obviously, you know, really happy with how it went with the ball. Everything, all the niggles and stuff from, you know, all those years ago before sliding under the knife a few times, hopefully they’re all behind me.
Obviously it was incredibly hard to make sure that I’m able to go out there and fulfill that role that I have done over the years. But yeah, obviously very disappointed to miss out on this game and not be able to contribute. Yeah, rehab starts now and obviously we’ve got the big one (The Ashes) coming up after this one.
I think, well, no, pleasing is great. When one of your bowlers goes down so early on in the game, the whole role of those three seamers completely changes from the selection we went with. And even in our second innings with the ball, the… the heart and the desire that the three big fellas kept on running in with and putting into the team, for the team, was outstanding.
You know, you can look back on a five-day game, you know, with many different moments and go, oh, if this had happened, if that had happened, but you know, that’s why cricket’s so good, that’s why we play sport.
But all we ask for, me Brendon, from the guys who get lucky enough to be selected in the 11, is that you leave everything out on the field. Not an ideal situation when one of your frontline bowlers goes down, but that heart and desire that Tongue, Gus and Jamie showed for the team was super outstanding.
Shubman Gill India’s winning skipper and Player of the series for his 754 runs said : Yeah, definitely. I think the way both the teams played in the entire series, every day coming on day four, day five, never really knowing which team is going to win, really shows that both the teams came up with their A-game and very happy to get over the line in this one.
(On his captaincy today) When you have good bowlers like Siraj and Prasidh bowling that spell, you know, captaincy seems pretty easy. Bowling a spell doesn’t really… Ball is doing all sorts, you know, they’re making the ball talk. Yes, there was a little bit of pressure on us but I think the way we responded this morning with them coming through with this spell was just magnificent for us.
No, I think, yeah, we were pretty confident. You know, even yesterday, we knew that they are a little bit under pressure. We just wanted to make sure that they’re feeling the pressure throughout. You know pressure makes everyone do things that they don’t want to and we just wanted to make sure that they’re feeling the pressure throughout the 37 runs that they scored. Yes, definitely. He (Siraj) is a captain’s dream.
Coming in five Test matches, every ball, every spell that he bowled gave his all out and every captain, every team wants a player like him. We are very fortunate to have him in that team. (Whether he thinks 2-2 is a fair scoreline) Yeah, most definitely. Like I said, both the teams coming on day five never really knowing which team is going to win. This shows how passionate both the teams were and how much of good cricket both the teams played throughout the series.
It feels very rewarding to be able to achieve that (being the best batter of the series). I worked pretty hard before the start of the series. There were certain things that I wanted to work on as a batsman and it was my goal to be able to be the best batter of the series. And to be able to accomplish that goal feels very satisfying and rewarding.
(On whether he made technical or mental changes before the series) Always both, always a combination of both. I think once you are sorted mentally you would be in a good space but you’re only sorted mentally when you’re feeling technically correct. So I think they’re both kind of correlated. If you feel like you’re getting in good positions you’re always mentally more stable. (On what he’s learnt about his team) That we never give up.
Harry Brook England’s Player of the Series said : We came into the day this morning very confident. Obviously we had two very good players out there at the time and I just thought we were going to easily see it home. Obviously the way the Indians fought back there and the way that Siraj bowled especially, I think he deserved every success there.
(On whether England had the advantage today) Yeah, absolutely. And we were thinking the ball would stiffen up a bit, the pitch would be a little bit flatter, but obviously the overcast conditions like it’s on again, it started to zip around a bit. And like I said before, Siraj has played five Test matches in a row, bowling 85 plus every ball. And he’s had a phenomenal series and I respect him a lot for what he’s done this series.
Yeah, he (Chris Woakes) was always going to go out no matter what and credit to him there as well. He was in a lot of pain at the end, you could see by his face. Yeah, was unfortunate that we didn’t get across the line and yeah, it’s just cricket. There’s so many things you can think in hindsight. We were obviously going really well and if we could get a couple of big overs there, just when I got out, the game was done.
But as you’ve seen through this whole series, there’s been quite a lot of collapses where either we’ve bowled them out for 50 runs, six wickets for 50 runs, or they’ve done the same to us. So, yeah, it’s fairly fitting. Well my thought process was just try and hit as many runs as quick as possible and like I said the game’s done if we need 40 runs with me and Rooty (Joe Root) in there and I get out there, the game’s still done and obviously it didn’t work but.
Yeah, I’ve played alright. I could have won that game yesterday, which is devastating, but yeah, I’m just happy to contribute to as many games as possible. Yeah, it’s been an awesome series. It’s been a very intense series. After every game, we’ve all been absolutely knackered.
So we’ve put everything on the line. We haven’t left anything out there. And yeah, it’s been an awesome series to be part of, even that finish there. I know we’re on the wrong side of it, but it’s such a good advert for Test Cricket and hopefully people will carry on watching it.
Mohammed Siraj Player of the Match for his 9 wickets in the match said : To be honest, it feels amazing. From Day 1 everyone fought hard and the result is there to see. Very happy. The plan was to keep it simple and hit a consistent spot. Not try too much and if I can get wickets from there it’s a bonus and build pressure. When I woke up today I had the belief that I could do it, I had the belief system.
I took a photo from Google which read I can do it and put it as my wallpaper. If I had taken that (Brook) catch properly probably we may not have had to come today. It was a game-changing moment. But Brook played really well, hats off to him for playing attacking cricket.
It was a heart-breaking moment (The Lord’s loss). He (Jadeja) was just telling me to play with a straight bat and middle the ball. He told me to remember my Father and the hardwork he put in to get me here.
A dank grey morning in South London, a packed crowd at the Kia Oval, and 53 of the most extraordinary deliveries in Test-match history … all of which culminated in the inevitable, indefatigable redemption of Mohammed Siraj, whose gut-busting five-wicket haul trumped a very different, but every bit as heroic, intercession from England’s incapacitated Chris Woakes, in one of the greatest climaxes in all of Test history.
Twenty years ago, on this very day, the legendary Edgbaston Ashes Test of 2005 got underway, but even that match’s breathless two-run finish paled compared to the agonising drama that spanned a solitary hour of play of this, the 25th and final day of another all-timer of a Test series. By the end of it all, India had landed their closest victory in Test history, by six runs.
Their players were doing a lap of honour in front of a sea of their jubilant fans, grins beaming out from their battle-weary bodies, safe in the knowledge that they had earned every drop of the acclaim.
This final act had been forced upon the series by the chaotic thunderstorm that had ended the fourth day early … arguably to England’s benefit in that moment, given the hot vein of form that Mohammed Siraj had located to drag the contest, kicking and screaming back in India’s direction after Harry Brook and Joe Root had, at one stage, threatened to rampage to a victory target of 373.
Sixty-two years have elapsed since Colin Cowdrey did likewise at Lord’s in 1963, returning to the crease with a broken arm, with England six runs from victory and with one wicket still standing. In those less chaotic days, David Allen opted not to go for broke against Wes Hall with two balls of the match to come, and Cowdrey was not required to do more than lean on his bat. Woakes, on the other hand, had a significantly more torrid role in store.
The onus, though, was on Atkinson to score the runs. Two balls into Mohammed Siraj’s next over, he connected magnificently with a launch across the line, as Akash Deep – in off the rope at deep midwicket – could only palm the ball across the rope as he leapt in vain to intercept. Three air-shots ensued, whereupon – from the last ball of the over – Woakes hurtled off for a bye to the keeper, his arm bouncing out of his sling in the process, leaving him wincing in agony as umpire Raza helped to swaddle him back into position.
There was no respite, however. “Two!” was Atkinson’s instant call one ball later, as he found rare space in the deep off Krishna to take the target into single figures. And though he could not make further inroads from the next four balls, the sixth was a gift, tight and full on the stumps, and a calm nudge to mid-on to keep the strike once more, and take England to within one blow of tying the scores.
Mohammed Siraj, however, wasn’t letting this cause slip now. In he hurtled for one final effort ball. Back went Atkinson’s off stump as he swung for the hills once again. Out came Mohammed Siraj’s “siu” celebration as his team-mates swamped him in adulation. Off went the celebrations all across a nation that had no doubt come to a standstill on an otherwise nondescript Monday afternoon. So ended one of the most breathless hours ever witnessed in 148 years and 2,598 Tests. And one of the most compelling series in living memory.
On a much more grassy surface, the bowlers found a lot more joy in the first innings. A gritty Karun Nair fifty, with some contributions from Sai Sudharsan and Sundar helped India cross 200. Gus Atkinson was lethal on his return, ending up with a fifer as India bundled out for 224. In reply, England were quick off the blocks with 92 runs within the first 13 overs. A sensational long burst from Mohammed Siraj in the second session triggered a middle-order mess up as England were bowled out for 247.
In the second innings, the pitch flattened out slightly and Jaiswal notched up his second century of this tour, while Washington Sundar got a breezy fifty to set a daunting target of 374. The target proved to be daunting only on paper, as England came out hard and attacked like a German blitzkreig. Duckett started the aggression, Root anchored the charge but it was actually Harry Brook who was at his blazing best. He scored 111 off just 98 balls and it looked like he had taken the game away from India.
Twenty five days of riveting action and the best was saved for the last! A fitting finale to an extraordinary series! Oh Test cricket! Can anything be better. The Indian bowlers have delivered a performance for the ages. The game was in England’s bag and India slipped it out right from under their nose! The drama built up to a crescendo and it picked up right where we left off yesterday. Every ball was an event and you could cut the tension with a knife.
The day started with two boundaries but the confidence that brought England was just an illusion. Mohammed Siraj was in exceptional rhythm and he nicked Jamie Smith off before trapping Jamie Overton lbw. Prasidh Krishna castled Josh Tongue shortly thereafter and it was all down to Gus Atkinson to get England over the line. India’s moment nearly came when Atkinson smashed one out towards deep mid-wicket only for Akash Deep to spill it over the ropes.
With the required runs now in the single digits, Mohammed Siraj produced a perfect yorker to rip Atkinson’s off-stump out. Every run that England got this morning was painstakingly scrapped together and they fell six runs short!
Jeez! What a game we’ve had here at the Oval!! The Indian players all rush towards Siraj in celebration. Jurel is the first one there as he runs in and hugs him while the entire Indian contingent runs in towards the bowler. Gill takes a moment to laud Chris Woakes, his courage cannot go unmentioned.
He came out there with a busted shoulder, ready to not only bat with the wrong hand but also just one hand – Woakes’ left arm hidden under a sweater and a bat in the other will be an image that’ll live long. India do a victory lap at The Oval as the fans cheer them everywhere they go. Mohammed Siraj has the ball in his hand and soaks in all the applause. The three bowlers now walk through arm in arms, as they now pose for a few photographs. Gill leading the march on that victory lap – what a true leader he’s proved to be in this series!
So a real coming of age series for Shubman Gill the captain and Shubman Gill the batter. It was the series where the Prince took gentle strides to elevate himself closer to being a King. He has captained admirably, taking the fight to the English players in this gnarly series while elevating his batting to a different celestial plane through this series.
First series for this new look Indian team without Kohli and Rohit, and the batters came up well. The efforts of the Indian bowlers, especially Mohammed Siraj, cannot be understated as they bowled with gusto throughout the series, despite playing on some fairly flat pitches. Tired, knackered, depleted but never dismayed, the Indian fast bowlers have put on a truly praise worthy performance. The transition is seeming smooth, the future looking bright!