Mohammed Siraj couldn’t hold back his tears as Dhruv Jurel ran in and hugged him. Shubman Gill stood quietly for a moment, looking up at the sky, before the rest of the Indian team rushed towards him to celebrate.
Monday morning at The Oval felt surreal.
After 25 days of riveting action, the best was saved for the last as India picked the last seven wickets for just 66 runs to clinch a six-run win against England in the fifth Test and draw the series 2-2.
IND vs ENG Highlights, 5th Test Day 5
In the Bazball era, during which England has lost just six out of 25 games at home, not many had put their money on an ‘in-transition’ Indian team when the series got underway. However, over the last five weeks, the young Indian side displayed heart and skill.
The final day of the series was no different as the Indian bowlers, spearheaded by Siraj, delivered a performance for the ages.
Ignoring workload management calls and not making a fuss about a quick turnaround time between the fixtures, Siraj delivered more than 1,000 deliveries in the series, and, as he bowled with gusto on a dark and gloomy morning, he seemed as fresh as he was in the series opener.
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Siraj got the ball to swing amidst a drizzle and picked up three wickets in a challenging spell with the old ball. Riding on his five-wicket haul, India created history—clinching its third Test win at the iconic venue, with the earlier ones coming back in 1971 and 2021.
Chasing a massive 374, it was England’s game to lose, with 35 runs required with four wickets in hand on the final day. There was a chance to win a Test series against India for the first time since its 4-1 victory at home in 2018. But with Siraj and Prasidh Krishna bowling with precision, England’s tail looked jittery.
Siraj got Jamie Smith to nick off before trapping Jamie Overton, who started off the day with a couple of boundaries, leg-before. The pressure increased as Prasidh castled Josh Tongue 19 balls later.
With 17 runs needed, and Chris Woakes walking out to bat with his left arm in a sling—evoking memories of the late Malcom Marshall batting with one hand 41 years ago—there was still a slim chance.
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But in the end, Siraj’s tenacity prevailed over England’s valiant fight as his perfect yorker rattled Atkinson’s off-stump and guided India home.
The last time a five-Test series saw all games going into the fifth day was eight years ago, during The Ashes in Australia.
The inaugural edition of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy will forever be remembered for the fierce competitiveness between the two teams despite a spate of injuries on either side and for being a perfect advertisement for the game’s longest format.
There were initial apprehensions about India’s chances, but with the players giving it their all, it was a series for the ages!
