Siraj picks sensational five-for as visitors level series 2-2
London, Aug 4: In a contest that swung like a pendulum and kept fans on the edge of their seats till the final delivery, India edged past England by six runs in the fifth and final Test at The Oval on Monday — registering their narrowest win in Test history.
The nail-biting finish not only brought the five-match series level at 2-2 but also etched itself into the annals of cricket as one of the most dramatic finales ever witnessed on English soil. It was the joint third-narrowest defeat in Test history for England, who were chasing 374 for victory and were 332 for 5 at one stage.
Never before had India defended a total so precariously. The previous narrowest victory came in 2004 — by 13 runs against Australia in Mumbai while defending 107. Monday’s triumph, however, was a theatre of nerves, discipline, and sheer resilience, led by none other than Mohammed Siraj.
With England needing just 35 runs and four wickets in hand at the start of Day 5, the odds were heavily tilted in their favour. But Siraj, India’s unflinching spearhead, had other plans. He rattled the English lower-order with venomous swing and pace, ending the match with figures of 5 for 80 in the second innings and a nine-wicket haul overall.
Prasidh Krishna, ably supporting from the other end, also claimed four wickets in both innings — making them only the second Indian duo to achieve the feat after Bishan Singh Bedi and Erapalli Prasanna did it in 1969 against Australia in Delhi.
The drama kicked off with dark clouds replacing early morning sunshine, giving Indian fans some hope. A packed Oval crowd of 27,500 — energised despite 25-pound non-refundable tickets — watched in hushed anticipation as Siraj steamed in from the Pavilion End. Within minutes, he made the old ball talk, getting Jamie Smith to edge behind with a delivery that kissed the outside edge.
From there, it was a collapse in slow motion. Siraj nearly had Gus Atkinson next ball, and in his following over, trapped Jamie Overton LBW with a ball that tailed back sharply. England still needed 20 runs.
Prasidh then sent back Josh Tongue with a full straight ball, and the crowd erupted — the target now agonisingly close for England, yet so far.
In a moment that stirred memories of Colin Cowdrey in 1963, a heavily bandaged Chris Woakes walked out to bat with a broken arm. With nine down, it was left to Atkinson to chase the remaining runs. He slashed and slogged bravely, even clearing the boundary with a misjudged attempt by Akash Deep, narrowing the target to single digits.
But it was Siraj who fittingly had the final word. A pinpoint yorker shattered Atkinson’s off-stump, triggering wild celebrations from the Indian camp and its sea of supporters. India had snatched a famous win from the jaws of defeat.
“I always believe in myself, that I can pull off a win from any situation,” Siraj said, his voice steady but brimming with pride after being named Player of the Match.The Test wasn’t short of heroic efforts from England either. Joe Root and Harry Brook’s 195-run partnership — the second-highest ever in the fourth innings to end in a defeat — had taken England to the brink. Both batters scored centuries, joining the rare list of just seven pairs in Test history to score fourth-innings tons and still finish on the losing side.
Siraj’s 23 wickets in the series now match Jasprit Bumrah’s record for the most by an Indian in a Test series in England. Meanwhile, this marks England’s fourth consecutive Test series without a win against India — a streak that began after their 4-1 triumph in 2018.The six-run thriller also added another statistical gem to Indian cricket’s record books — before this, India had a woeful 1-10 win-loss record in the fifth or sixth matches of an away Test series. This victory at The Oval is only their second such win. (PTI)
SCOREBOARD
India 1st innings: 224
England 1st innings: 247
India 2nd innings: 396
England 2nd innings: (overnight 339/6 in 76.2 overs) Zak Crawley b Mohammed Siraj 14
Ben Duckett c Rahul b Prasidh Krishna 54 Ollie Pope lbw b Mohammed Siraj 27
Joe Root c Jurel b Prasidh Krishna 105
Harry Brook c Mohammed Siraj b Akash Deep 111 Jacob Bethell b Prasidh Krishna 5
Jamie Smith c Jurel b Mohammed Siraj 2
Jamie Overton lbw b Mohammed Siraj 9
Gus Atkinson b Mohammed Siraj 17
Josh Tongue b Prasidh Krishna 0
Chris Woakes not out 0
Extras: (B-2 LB-9 NB-1 W-11) 23
Total: (All out in 85.1 overs) 367
Fall of wickets: 1/50 2/82 3/106 4/301 5/332 6/337 7/347 8/354 9/357 10/367 Bowling: Akash Deep 20-4-85-1, Prasidh Krishna 27-3-126-4, Mohammed Siraj 30.1-6-104-5, Washington Sundar 4-0-19-0, Ravindra Jadeja 4-0-22-0. (PTI)