- True connoisseurs, experts, ex-players, and crazy cricket fans would have gone delirious by the turn of events leading up to the first hour of the last day of the fifth cricket Test match between Indian and England played at the Oval. Going into the fifth Test of the series, Team England was leading by 2-1 and was extremely confident about winning the closely fought contest right through. Notably, the mercurial captain and all-rounder Ben Stokes was out with an injury. From Team India, the talismanic Jasprit Bumrah was also not considered due to an injury, although discussions about workload management surrounding him were apparent. A few changes were made from both sides going into the decider. And what a match it eventually turned out to be.
PC: India Today
- Captain Shubman Gill lost the toss for the fifth consecutive time and was promptly asked by the stand-in captain Ollie Pope to bat. India was bundled out for 224 in the first innings on the most spiciest pitch of the Test series, with overhead weather conditions duly aiding the bowling side. Karun Nair’s 57 was the sole fifty from the Indian side. Comeback bowler Gus Atkinson had a five-fer. In reply, England could only muster 247 with a tender lead of 23 runs. Opener Zak Crawley scored a belligerent 64, and Harry Brook scored a whirlwind 53. For India, pacers Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna claimed four wickets each. Team India’s second innings was powered by opener Yashasvi Jaiswal’s chancy but resilient 118.
PC: The Times of India
- And duly supported by Akash Deep’s 66, and Washington Sundar’s crackling 53 with partners running out. Team India set a target of 373 for the hosts to chase and claim the series. England was on track to emulate the daunting target with a blazing half-century from opener Ben Duckett setting the tone for the chase. The way classy Joe Root and promising Harry Brook went about chasing the target with superb centuries, the target appeared a mere formality to overcome and claim the series hands down. But alas, this Indian team is never the one to throw in the towel before expending every resource available at their disposal. The dramatic turnaround witnessed during the last session of the fourth day raised hopes for the visitors to dream about a miracle.
PC: India Today
- 35 runs required to win with four wickets was always considered easy by any cricket expert, not the least by the confident England. Astonishingly, the way Siraj went about decimating the remaining batters with a high-quality swing and seam bowling was a delight for true connoisseurs. Siraj ripped through the lower middle order, claiming a five-fer to register a thrilling 6 runs victory for Team India. The series stood levelled at 2-2, a fair outcome where both teams showcased tremendous resilience, performing admirably, thereby highlighting yet again the virtuosity of Test cricket in its purest form. While both teams shared the honours, the real winner is Test cricket by some distance. Nothing comes nearer to the beauty of Test cricket. What a series it has been!
