ENG vs IND: India clinches thrilling six-run win to level series 2-2 as Siraj delivers a performance for the ages

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 teammates rushed towards him to celebrate. Prasidh Krishna waved towards the packed stands as the tricolour fluttered high.

Monday morning at The Oval felt surreal.

After 25 days of riveting action, the best was saved for the last as India came from behind 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, not many had pinned their hopes on an ‘in-transition’ Indian team when the series got underway, but over the last five weeks, the young side showed heart in coming back from the trickiest of situations.

And, 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 bowled 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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He 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, the earlier ones being in 1971 and 2021.

Chasing a massive 374, it was England’s game to lose until the final day, with 35 runs required and four wickets in hand. 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 bowling with precision, England’s tail looked jittery.

Siraj nicked Jamie Smith 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 shortly after.

England had to struggle for every single run, but with Gus Atkinson hanging in there 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, and of course, 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!