India notched a win for the ages, defeating England by six runs at The Oval in London on Monday to register one of the most memorable victories in the history of the game. Coming into the match trailing 1-2 in the series, India were almost down and out on Day 4 with Joe Root and Harry Brook producing classy centuries. But magic happened in the third session when Prasidh Krishna took two wickets and Akash Deep scalped one. Even then England needed just 35 before rain forced early stumps on Day 4. On Day 5, the equation was simple for India, they needed wickets in heaps. India got them in style and registered a huge win.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar was ecstatic and termed the win as a bigger one than what the team had achieved in Brisbane in 2021. On that occasion, India breached Australia’s fortress Gabba with a three-wicket margin despite most of the senior players missing. “This win is bigger than Gabba,” Sunil Gavaskar said.
In an absolute humdinger of a contest, inspirational spells from Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna helped India draw the five-match series against England, denying the hosts a series win, beating them by six runs while defending 374 runs, in an absolute thriller at The Oval on Monday.
With this win, the Shubman Gill-led Team India has started the new era with immense promise, drawing the series 2-2. After England opted to bowl first, India was skittled out for 224, with a Karun Nair century being a standout. Zak Crawley and Harry Brook fifties took England to 247, giving them a slender 23-run lead with four-fer each from Siraj and Krishna. A much better batting display, with standout century from Yashasvi Jaiswal took India to 396, giving them a 373 runs lead. At one point on day four, England was 317/4 thanks to centuries from Root and Brook, but a late surge by pacers Siraj, Krishna and Akash Deep gave India one of their finest Test wins, with Siraj taking a five-wicket haul to cap off a memorable series.
The first session of day five started with England at 339/6, with Jamie Overton (0*) and Jamie Smith (2*) unbeaten. The day could not have started on a much worse note for India, as Prasidh Krishna conceded two boundaries in two successive balls to start off.
However, the Indians got a major lift, with Jamie nicking one to Dhruv Jurel, falling to Mohammed Siraj for just two runs in 20 balls. England was 347/7 and Siraj got his third wicket.
However, England crossed the 350-run mark in 78.4 overs.
Siraj produced another breakthrough, removing Overton for nine off 17 balls, trapping him leg-before-wicket. England was eight down at 354, with the pacer getting his fourth scalp.
Josh Tongue survived a close lbw call on a Prasidh delivery as the ball missed the leg stump. However, he ended up becoming Prasidh’s fourth victim after all, cleaned up for a 12-ball duck, courtesy of a superb yorker that left his stumps in a mess. England was 357/9, and a slinged-up, injured Chris Woakes came out to bat.
Gus Atkinson released the pressure, with a massive six, with Akash Deep missing out on a catch. England needed 11 runs to win. The deficit came down to eight runs, with Atkinson taking a couple. Another single reduced the target to seven and most importantly, kept an injured Woakes off strike.
Siraj took the fifth and final wicket, pulling off a miraculous win for India.
Siraj (5/104) and Krishna (4/126) toil paid off, as the series was levelled.
