Mohammed Siraj holds his nerve on a tense final morning to claim 5-104 as India clinch thrilling six-run victory over England to level topsy-turvy series 2-2 at the Oval
India players celebrate their win over England at the Oval in London on Monday. Pic/Getty Images
Who else could it be? Who else but Mohammed Siraj?
It was his catch off Harry Brook on Sunday that wasn’t, a catch that became a six when he stepped over the line, that allowed England a foot in the door in the final Test at the Oval. Brook punished Siraj and India for that lapse by going from 19 to 111, hauling his team to the doorstep of victory.
Yet, Siraj didn’t lose hope. India didn’t either, not even when the final day began with England 35 short of victory with four wickets in hand.
Monday’s action lasted just 56 minutes, but it seemed like a lifetime, an eternity. Those 56 minutes perfectly encapsulated a series that went this way and that before the pendulum stopped firmly in the middle. Siraj plucked out Gus Atkinson’s off-stump to take his third wicket of the morning, his fifth of the innings and the 10th of England’s second dig, bowling India to a surreal six-run triumph that helped them square the series 2-2.
Series scoreline justified
The scoreline was fully justified; some might say India, young India, should have won the series, but let’s leave the quibbling for another day.
For the record, overnight 339-6 chasing 374, England were bowled out for 367, Prasidh Krishna celebrating an excellent comeback with the scalp of Josh Tongue even as Siraj accounted for Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton, before rounding things off with Atkinson’s scalp.
Chris Woakes, his dislocated left shoulder in a sling, watched forlorn from the non-striker’s end, his very presence at the crease a tremendous show of courage and character, much like Rishabh Pant’s had been in Manchester when he came out to bat with a broken right foot. It was always on the cards that the match would finish early, maybe inside the first hour, but that didn’t discourage the fans, who turned up in massive numbers anticipating a classic to bring the curtains down on a series for the ages. Overton threatened to make it one-way traffic with boundaries off the day’s first two deliveries from Prasidh, the second a French cut, but that was just the start of the drama.
Siraj gave India their first sneak at glory when he beat Smith outside off with his first two deliveries before finding the edge off the third for Dhruv Jurel to complete a regulation catch. The umpires too seemed afflicted by nerves; for no obvious reason, Kumar Dharmasena wanted to check the validity of the catch even though the ball was nowhere close to the ground.
Siraj’s persistence and skills were rewarded as he earned a leg before decision from Dharmasena against Overton, and when Tongue was bowled off his pads by Prasidh, the hosts still needed 17.
Atkinson shows guts
Atkison had only one option, to go for it; he slammed Siraj over long-on for six past a tardy Akash Deep, then stole a bye with Jurel showing poor game sense and not taking off his right glove off before the ball was bowled when a Woakes run-out was there for the taking.
But how could this series end with a run out? It was written in the stars that Siraj would have the final say. What a game. What a series.
Six
India’s victory margin at the Oval — their narrowest ever in terms of runs
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
