Pacers lead the charge as India seal a thriller at The Oval ICC World Test Championship
Siraj then set up Jamie Overton brilliantly, trapping him lbw and swinging the momentum firmly in India's favour. Prasidh Krishna soon joined the action, delivering a searing yorker that rattled the stumps to dismiss Josh Tongue, bringing India within touching distance of a famous win.
Chris Woakes heroically walked out to bat despite battling a shoulder injury, keeping England's hopes alive. Atkinson smashed a six against the run of play, cutting the target down to just 11 runs. Finally, Mohammed Siraj rattled the off stump of Gus Atkinson, handing India a memorable victory by the barest of margins - just 6 runs - and levelling the series 2-2 in thrilling fashion.
Earlier in the Test, late collapses from both sides prevented either team from posting a substantial total in the first innings, with England eventually taking a slender 23-run lead. A brilliant century from Yashasvi Jaiswal, along with valuable contributions from the lower order, helped India set a challenging target of 374 for England to chase.
The hosts looked in control of the pursuit with superb centuries from Joe Root and Harry Brook. However, a dramatic collapse late on Day 4 saw England lose their last seven wickets for just 66 runs, ultimately handing India a thrilling victory.
The series began at Headingley with a high-scoring thriller that went down to the wire. India posted a mammoth 471 in their first innings, thanks to centuries from captain Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant. England responded with a strong 465, with Ollie Pope scoring a hundred.
In the second innings, India again looked to set a big target with centuries from KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant, but a late collapse saw them all out for 364. This left England with a chase of 371 on the final day, which they completed with five wickets in hand, led by a sensational 149 from Ben Duckett and recorded their second highest highest chase in Test cricket.
The series moved to Edgbaston, where India bounced back in a commanding fashion to level the series. After being put in to bat, India piled on a massive 587, with Shubman Gill scoring a brilliant 269 and Ravindra Jadeja adding 89. Debutant Akash Deep was the star with the ball, taking 10 wickets in the match as he ran through England's batting lineup twice. The hosts were bowled out for 407 and 271, falling to a heavy 336-run defeat.
The pendulum swung back in England's favour at Lord's in a low-scoring, tense affair. The first innings saw both teams post exactly 387 runs, with Joe Root scoring a hundred for England and KL Rahul doing the same for India. The game was ultimately decided in the second innings. Washington Sundar's four-wicket haul helped India restrict England to just 192, setting up a chase of 193.
However, India's batting collapsed dramatically under pressure, and despite a valiant 61 from Ravindra Jadeja, they were all out for 170. Ben Stokes was the hero for England with an exceptional all-round display, taking a five-wicket haul and scoring a crucial 33, earning him the Player of the Match award as England took a 2-1 series lead.
The fourth Test at Old Trafford was an epic of survival for India. After India were bundled out for 358, England's top-order went on a rampage, posting a mammoth 669 with centuries from Joe Root and Ben Stokes.
With a first-innings deficit of 311, India's second innings saw them in deep trouble, but a gritty stand by KL Rahul and captain Shubman Gill kept them in the game. It was followed by the resistance of Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar that secured a memorable draw on the final day. ICC World Test ChampionshipICC World Test Championship, 2025/27News
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Khaleej Times
20 hours ago
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India hail Shubman Gill and his 'Supermen' after Oval heist
An euphoric India heaped praises on Shubman Gill and his men after they pulled off an edge-of-the-seat thriller at the Oval on Monday to split an all-time classic series with England. Odds were stacked against India in their first Test series under Gill, who inherited a team depleted by the retirement of batting stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli - two men who preceded him in that role. As if the gaping holes in their batting order were not bad enough, veteran seamer Mohammed Shami was deemed unfit for the tour, while pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was available only for three of the five Tests as part of his workload management. Gill and his men went on to record memorable victories at Edgbaston and the Oval to secure a 2-2 series draw and assure their legions of fans that the future of Indian cricket was in safe hands. The indefatigable Mohammed Siraj led their lion-hearted bowling effort in the series finale to script a six-run victory amid high drama. Batting great Sachin Tendulkar led tributes to the team and said the quality of cricket on offer was "absolute goosebumps". "Series 2–2, Performance 10/10! SUPERMEN from INDIA! What a win," the former India captain wrote on X. England needed 35 runs on Monday to secure a 3-1 series win with four wickets in hand but Siraj struck three times to secure a famous victory for his team. "In a nail-biting, riveting hour of cricket at England's oldest Test match ground, in characteristically cloudy Olde Blighty weather, India pulled off a historic heist," the Hindustan Times newspaper wrote. An Indian Express headline read "Miracles Do Happen" and the newspaper explained how Gill had stepped up as captain of a 'gun team'. The Hindu waxed eloquent on the "Mission accomplished". "After 25 days of riveting action, the best was saved for the last as Shubman Gil's men rode Mohammed Siraj's sensational spell to pull off a remarkable victory," it said.
Dubai Eye
20 hours ago
- Dubai Eye
India hail Gill and his 'Supermen' after Oval heist
An euphoric India heaped praises on Shubman Gill and his men after they pulled off an edge-of-the-seat thriller at the Oval on Monday to split an all-time classic series with England. Odds were stacked against India in their first Test series under Gill, who inherited a team depleted by the retirement of batting stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli - two men who preceded him in that role. As if the gaping holes in their batting order were not bad enough, veteran seamer Mohammed Shami was deemed unfit for the tour, while pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was available only for three of the five Tests as part of his workload management. Gill and his men went on to record memorable victories at Edgbaston and the Oval to secure a 2-2 series draw and assure their legions of fans that the future of Indian cricket was in safe hands. The indefatigable Mohammed Siraj led their lion-hearted bowling afford in the series finale to script a six-run victory amid high drama. Batting great Sachin Tendulkar led tributes to the team and said the quality of cricket on offer was "absolute goosebumps". "Series 2–2, Performance 10/10! SUPERMEN from INDIA! What a win," the former India captain wrote on X. England needed 35 runs on Monday to secure a 3-1 series win with four wickets in hand but Siraj struck three times to secure a famous victory for his team. "In a nail-biting, riveting hour of cricket at England's oldest test match ground, in characteristically cloudy Olde Blighty weather, India pulled off a historic heist," the Hindustan Times newspaper wrote. An Indian Express headline read "Miracles Do Happen" and the newspaper explained how Gill had stepped up as captain of a 'gun team'. The Hindu waxed eloquent on the "Mission accomplished". "After 25 days of riveting action, the best was saved for the last as Shubman Gil's men rode Mohammed Siraj's sensational spell to pull off a remarkable victory," it said. "It was a litmus test for an Indian team in transition but the young side showed heart and character as it fought back from tough situations to share the honours."
Khaleej Times
a day ago
- Khaleej Times
Mohammed Siraj: From 200 rupees for a match to winning a billion hearts
At the end of his lionhearted bowling efforts that earned India an unforgettable series-levelling win on the dramatic final morning of the fifth Test at the Oval, Mohammed Siraj attended the post-match press conference wearing a million-dollar smile. Siraj had all the reasons to be ecstatic after his scorching delivery castled Gus Atkinson to end the English lower-order batter's heroic resistance and earn India one of the greatest victories in their Test cricket history. With nine wickets in the match, including five in the second innings that helped India defend the target of 374 by the narrowest of margins, Siraj not only came out of Jasprit Bumrah's shadows, but he also galloped into the realm of India's biggest match-winning heroes. 'I just woke up in the morning with the belief that I can win the match for India,' he said, referring to the delicate position at the end of the fourth day when England needed 35 runs to win with four wickets in hand. 'I felt I could win the match for India if I bowled in the right areas. I am happy that we won, and 1.4 billion people in our country are now smiling. This is a special feeling.' It's hard to believe that the man who kept the Indian dream alive in the gruelling five-Test series in England once struggled to get a game even in league cricket. It was just over a decade ago that Siraj was playing for corporate teams in Hyderabad for a mere 200 rupees per match. His father, Mohammed Ghouse, could not even afford to buy 'proper shoes' for his matches. But it was his mother, Shabana Begum, who never gave up on her son's cricket dreams. She pleaded with Abdul Azeem, a former Indian first-class cricketer, to give her son a chance to prove his talent at the state level. Shabana Begum used to work in Azeem's sister's house to make ends meet. 'His mother would almost every day ask me to help her son. She used to tell me, 'Please help my son, he is not interested in studies, he only plays cricket all the time',' Azeem told the Khaleej Times in 2020. It was Azeem who eventually helped Siraj get into a club team before giving him an opportunity to impress the Hyderabad under-23 team selectors in a trial match. 'He ended up taking three top-order wickets in the trial match, which earned him a place in the state under-23 team,' Azam had told us almost five years ago when Siraj was trying to break into the Indian team for a regular spot on the back of his domestic and IPL (Indian Premier League) performances. Now with 23 wickets in the England series after bowling some relentless spells of fast bowling, Siraj not only won a billion hearts in India, but also earned an admirer in Joe Root. The star England batter, who scored 105 and raised England's hopes of an improbable win at the Oval with his stunning 195-run partnership with Harry Brook (111), showered praise on Siraj. 'He's a warrior, a real warrior. He's someone you want on your team; he's that kind of character. He gives everything for India,' Root said of Siraj, who bowled 187 overs across five Tests. Azeem, who passed away in 2023, had credited Siraj's roots for his never-say-die spirit. 'He comes from a tribe that used to be Nizam's security. They are tough people. He has climbed up the ladder in a very short span of time….his is a miraculous tale,' Azeem had said. Without Siraj on Monday, there would have been no miracle for this young Indian team that was written off before the start of the series.
