 "Team India celebrates after winning the Oval Test by 6 runs. AP")
Team India pulled off a six-run heist at The Oval to end the series on level terms at 2-2. Bowlers, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep pulled things back for India on Day 4, when England were storming towards the target, and then Siraj and Krishna finished the job on Day 5 by restricting the hosts to 367.
The particular Test was a roller-coaster of a ride as it evoked varied emotions over five days, and kept fans glued right untill the end. It was anybody’s game till the final moment, but Siraj’s magical delivery that rattled the stumps of Atkinson clinched the victory for India and brought joy to the faces of millions of fans of Indian cricket.
Stalwarts congratulate Team India
The cricket community of India also enjoyed the win, and following the culmination of the match, various stalwarts expressed their emotions through social media. From Sachin Tendulkar to Sourav Ganguly, various members of the Indian cricket fraternity came forward to state their sentiments on India’s epic win at The Oval.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsTeam India drops the mic at The Oval
After winning the toss, England’s stand-in captain Ollie Pope invited India to bat first. England bowlers, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, and Jamie Overton, dominated the proceedings, and bundled out India at a modest total of 224 in the first innings.
In response, England got the best possible start as openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett put on almost a century run stand. Despite the exploits by the front two, England were bundled out at 247 in the first innings.
India had a much better opting in the second innings. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed a stellar century to put India in the driver’s seat. Nightwatchman Akash Deep, rendered Jaiswal the ideal support from the other end and played a key innings of 66 runs. Following that, the ever-consistent Ravindra Jadeja proved to be impactful once again. He scored a half-century in his final stint with the bat this series. Washington Sundar gave India the finishing blitz. He added crucial 53 runs at a brisk pace. All these performances resulted in setting up a target of 374 in front of England.
Chasing 374, England’s openers once again provided a fine start. This time, Crawley and Duckett stitched a 50-run stand for the first wicket. The match was set to conclude on Day 4, where Joe Root and Harry Brook stood out for the side and and dominated India for almost two sessions straight. They added 195 runs for the fourth wicket, which almost ensured England’s victory. Needless to state that both batters completed their respective centuries. However, a twist of fate occurred in the final phase of the Day 4. Just when England looked unstoppable, Akash Deep got the wicket of Harry Brook and brought India back. The Indian bowlers then gained further momentum by removing Jacob Bethell and Joe Root in quick succession. India had England on the ropes in the final hour of the day, but rain gods rescued England and pushed the Test to the fifth and final day. On Day 5, Siraj and Prasidh enforced panic in the England camp by swiftly dismissing the Jamies and eventually won the match by snaring the remaining two scalps.