On the final day of the Oval Test, England stood at the brink of victory. They needed just 35 runs with 4 wickets in hand, and in-form batter Jamie Smith was at the crease.
Despite such a simple equation, the hosts were denied victory. That’s because the Indian bowlers wrote another thrilling chapter in Test cricket history.
India brought excitement back into the match by picking up quick wickets early in the day. They kept the pressure on with relentless bowling. Eventually, the visitors took England’s last 4 wickets for just 18 runs to seal a dramatic 6-run victory.
With this win, India tied the five-match Test series 2-2.
At the Oval in London, India lost the toss and were bundled out for just 224 runs in their first innings of the series-deciding fifth Test. Karun Nair top-scored with 57 in the middle order. In reply, England scored 247 and took a 23-run lead. Ben Duckett made 43, and Harry Brook scored 53. For India, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna took 4 wickets each.
During this innings, England all-rounder Chris Woakes suffered a serious shoulder injury while fielding.
India bounced back in the second innings, putting up 396 runs, thanks to some resolute batting. The star of the innings was opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored a magnificent 118 off 164 balls, hitting 14 fours and 2 sixes. Nightwatchman Akash Deep contributed 66 runs. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar both scored 53, and Dhruv Jurel added 34. England were set a target of 374 runs.
England started the chase brilliantly. Opener Duckett scored 54, Joe Root hit 105 off 152 balls, and Harry Brook smashed a blistering 111 off 98 balls. By the end of Day 3, England were within touching distance of victory. But within a span of 36 runs, Brook, Bethell, and Root were all dismissed, giving India a way back into the game.
Rain caused an early end to Day 4, giving India a glimmer of hope. On the final day, Jamie Smith was dismissed early. Later, Overton and Josh Tongue also departed.
While wickets kept falling, Gus Atkinson showed great courage at the non-striker’s end. Then came the injured Chris Woakes to the crease—his left hand tucked under his sweater, a bandage wrapped around his right, essentially batting one-handed. It was a moment worthy of a standing ovation from the crowd.
Atkinson reignited the tension in the match with a six, but was ultimately bowled by Siraj. In this innings, Siraj claimed 5 wickets, while Prasidh Krishna took 4.
