It had to be him, didn’t it? Written in the stars. The same cricketer who fell just short of carrying India to victory in the third Test, undone by a cruel, overspun delivery. Who dropped Harry Brook on 19, who, in turn, went to score an almost match-winning 111. Who, across the series, bowled 1,113 deliveries — the equivalent of 46.375 IPL matches. During an overcast, rainy morning at the Oval, London, with millions of eyes on him, Mohammed Siraj uprooted Gus Atkinson’s off-stump with a sharp inswinging delivery to drive India home in the final Test of what will surely go down as one of the greatest Test series of all time.
Twenty-five days that couldn’t have been better if they were scripted. India lost a match it should, at the very least, have drawn. Then, after dominating the second Test, it went on to lose a game it should have won as England’s bowlers tore through India’s batting order. In the fourth Test, India clawed its way to a draw, showing character few sides in world cricket can match. And finally, the grand finale, the pièce de résistance: A rollercoaster of defending a target that may well define the future of Test cricket and serve as a powerful reminder of that old adage: It’s not over till it’s over.
While the headlines will shine on Siraj — who deserves every inch of the spotlight — this was a victory built on teamwork. Karun Nair’s gritty 57, the highest score of the first innings, helped India scrape together a respectable 224 and will probably be as memorable as his incredible 303 against the same country back in 2016. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 118 laid the foundation for the daunting target for England. Akash Deep, though quiet with the ball, scored 66 as the nightwatchman in the second innings, which, with Jaiswal at the other end, helped India recover from 70/2 to 177/3. And when hope seemed to ebb late on Day 4, it was Akash Deep again who shifted the momentum India’s way by removing a well-set Harry Brook, who looked poised to finish the game in a blaze. Ravindra Jadeja and Dhruv Jurel played vital knocks of 53 and 34 in the second innings, followed by Washington Sundar’s late burst that added a crucial 53 to the target. Prasidh Krishna bagged eight wickets in the match, including the prized scalp of Joe Root in the second innings. And finally, it was the man of the hour, Mo Siraj, whose swing bowling dismantled England’s lower order in the final hour of play. He finished with nine for the game and was the Player of the Match.
It wasn’t for the fainthearted, though. Atkinson launching Mohammed Siraj for six, followed by a few nervy singles, brought the target down to just seven runs. One hit to tie. Two to win. But then, Siraj summoned a Bumrah-esque yorker, a thunderbolt that sealed the match. A game won without Jasprit Bumrah — arguably the best bowler in the world — deserves special mention, just like India’s second Test win powered by Shubman Gill’s remarkable 430 runs. Ironically, it was the first innings when the Oval pitch and conditions offered the most help to bowlers. But on Day 5, Siraj and Prasidh finally found the movement they needed to torment England’s tail. England went from 301/3 to 367 all out.
And a word for Chris Woakes. Injured on Day 1 with a dislocated shoulder, he couldn’t contribute throughout the Test, barring the wicket of K L Rahul in the first innings. Yet, in a final act of defiance, he padded up and walked in, one arm tucked under his England shirt. Every run from the non-striker’s end made him wince, but he stood his ground for his country. In the end, mercifully, he didn’t have to face a single delivery. There is bound to be much discussion on this particular episode, as it appeared that the Indian side was reluctant to bowl to him, not changing the field or doing much else to stop Atkinson’s single, twice, to ensure that the one-handed man faced the next over.
As we await the flood of analyses and statistics that will inevitably follow, a final word on Test cricket: Long live, long live. For years, the 2005 Ashes — particularly that nerve-shredding second Test where England nearly threw it all away before clinching victory by two runs against Ricky Ponting’s Australia — has stood as the gold standard of Test cricket in the 21st century. But 20 years on, India and England, this day, this Test, this series, have risen to meet that benchmark, perhaps even surpassed it. In an era where T20 draws all the crowds and Test cricket often teeters on the edge of neglect, the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy is a timely reminder of the unmatched drama and glory the longest format of the game offers. It’s the revival Test cricket didn’t just need, but also deserved.
saptarishi.basak@expressindia.com
