London [UK], August 4 : Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj made history during his team's thrilling six-run win against England at The Oval, registering the best figures by an Indian at the venue.
Siraj achieved this accomplishment during the fifth and final Test of the series. Siraj kickstarted the match with a 4/86 in the first innings, bowling well in tandem with Prasidh Krishna to restrict England to 247 runs and allowing for a slight 23-run lead. Later, while defending 374, when England was on song at 301/4, he and Krishna once again bowled their hearts out, enabling India to bundle out England for 367 runs. Siraj took a five-wicket haul (5/104), ending with match figures of 9/190, which earned him the 'Player of the Match' award.
As per Wisden, Siraj overtook the spinner Bhagwat Chandrasekhar's 8-114 in the famous 1971 triumph; this is also the fifth-best bowling figures by an Indian in England, with Akash Deep's ten-fer for 187 runs at Birmingham being at the top.
Siraj's The Oval figures are best by any bowler at the venue, be it the English or visiting, since late Aussie legend Shane Warne's 12/246 back in 2005.
Siraj also finished the series with 23 wickets, levelling with his 'Jassi Bhai' Jasprit Bumrah for most against England in the Test series. Bumrah had taken 23 scalps during the 2021-22 tour. Siraj's wicket tally in England has gone up to 46 scalps in 11 innings at an average of 33.21, with two five-wicket hauls to his name. His best figures in England are 6/70, in an innings.
Siraj's 46 wickets in England are the third-most for an Indian, after Bumrah and Ishant Sharma (51 each).
After England opted to bowl first, they reduced India to 153/6. A 58-run partnership between Karun Nair (57 in 109 balls, with eight fours) and Washington Sundar (26 in 55 balls, with three fours) was the most meaningful part of the inning as India was bundled out for 224 runs. Apart from Gus Atkinson's five-wicket haul, Josh Tongue (3/57) was also good.
In the second innings, four-fers from Siraj (4/86) and Prasidh Krishna (4/62) reduced England to 247, despite a 92-run opening stand between Zak Crawley (64 in 57 balls, with 14 fours) and Ben Duckett (43 in 38 balls, with five fours and two sixes) and a fifty by Harry Brook (53 in 64 balls, with five fours and a six). They led by 23 runs.
In India's second innings, key contributions came from Yashasvi Jaiswal (118 in 164 balls, with 14 fours and two sixes), Akash Deep (66 in 94 balls, with 12 fours), Ravindra Jadeja (53 in 77 balls, with five fours) and Washington Sundar (53 in 46 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes).
Sundar stitched a very crucial 10th wicket stand with Krishna, with the latter scoring nothing out of it and Sundar doing all the hitting.
They all took India to 396 runs, giving them a 373-run lead and setting a target of 374 runs for England to win the series.
India started well, reducing England to 106/3. However, fine centuries from Harry Brook (111 in 98 balls, with 14 fours and two sixes) and Joe Root (105 in 152 balls, with 12 fours) troubled India with a 195-run stand for the fourth wicket. At one point, England was 317/4 on day four. However, a late surge by Siraj (5/104) and Krishna (4/126) shifted the pressure to England, and they were left six runs short, bundled out for 367 runs.
The series is drawn 2-2, reflecting the true nature of how well-fought the series was. The Shubman Gill era has started with immense promise and fight, giving signs of a bright future.
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