India were trailing the hosts 2-1 after the 4th Test at Old Trafford and needed a win to save the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Luckily, 9 wickets were shared between Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, earning India a historic win in the most dramatic fashion. This victory at the historic Oval ensured team India levelled the series and now share the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Buildup to the Final Day
England were chasing a mammoth 374-run target and stood at 339/6 at the end of Day 4. 35 runs away from victory, Day 4 halted early due to rain and fading light. The game was “too close to call” as India needed only 4 wickets to pull off a remarkable comeback.
Highlights From Day 5
England enjoyed a perfect start to their day, sticking to their “Bazball” roots with back-to-back fours off Prasidh Krishna. The hosts now needed only 27 runs to win. Mohammed Siraj bowled excellent back-to-back deliveries at the start of the 77th over, striking fear into Jamie Smith.
- Mohammed Siraj’s very next ball saw Jamie Smith chase a widish delivery, nicking his bat before finding the gloves of Dhruv Jurel.
- In his next over, the pacer sent Jamie Overton back for 9 with an LBW. Overton immediately opted for a review, but hawkeye said “umpire’s call” and the decision stood.
- Krishna later redeemed himself by bowling a perfect yorker, claiming Josh Tongue’s wicket.
- Chris Woakes, who was ruled out for the game after dislocating his left shoulder, heroically arrived at the crease with his left arm in a sling.
- With India, one wicket away from glory, Gus Atkinson hit Mohammed Siraj for a six to boost English spirits. The hosts were 11 runs away from victory.
- A pinpoint yorker from Siraj cleaned up Gus Atkinson, earning India a famous victory over England by just 6 runs.
- Siraj finished the game with figures of 5/104 while Krishna finished with 4/126.
The game concluded as one of the greatest test series victories in Indian cricket history. The series is deemed as a memorable one as both teams put in terrific performances throughout.
Siraj’s Thoughts After Winning The Infamous Oval Test
Mohammed Siraj ensured to keep his spirits high even when it all looked gloomy for Team India. After the game, in an interview, he said, “To be honest, it feels amazing. We wanted to fight hard from Day 1 and to see this result is great. The plan was to keep it simple and hit one spot. When I woke up today I believed that I could do it. It took a photo from Google, saying ‘BELIEVE’, to keep the hope alive!”
Written by: Thillai Ritvik
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