5 Aug 2025 : Belief. Anticipation. Jubilation. Nothing describes the first hour of Day 5 of the India vs England final Test at The Oval better than these words. Of course, if you are on India’s side, that is. Or maybe not? After all, even former England captains Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain agreed that it would have been a “travesty” had England taken the series 3-1.
It was the belief that made India stride out on Monday morning with a winning mindset when England needed 35 runs with four wickets. It didn’t take them long to produce anticipation from belief, which soon turned into jubilation.
Mohammed Siraj was at the centre of it all. Siraj kept India’s belief going by dismissing Jamie Smith — the only recognised batter – in the second over of the day’s play. He gave England another body blow and India, a shot in the arm by trapping Jamie Overton lbw. England needed 20 runs with only two wickets in hand.
18 balls and a million oohs and aahs later, Prasidh Krishna dished out a rip-roaring yorker to rattle the stumps of Josh Tongue. 17 needed with one wicket to go. Out came Chris Woakes with a hand tucked inside his sweater. The man was out there trying to win a Test match for his country with a dislocated shoulder. What else do you need?
Gus Atkinson started to throw the kitchen sink at everything. He didn’t have too many options, to be honest. It got England 10 valuable runs before Siraj, who else? produced perhaps the best ball of the series, to knock down his off pole. All hell broke loose.
A few metres away from the epicentre, watching it all unfold from the dressing room, was India’s support staff. The dressing room’s elevation gives the perfect view of things, which at times makes it a hotbed of emotions. Silence and exuberant screams played uncomfortable musical chairs. Every ball was an event, each run made them skip a beat and when a wicket fell, the decibels rose. There was the occasional wave of the hand from Gautam Gambhir, trying to draw India captain Shubman Gill’s attention for a change of field. There were claps, there were hands on hands, there were moments of deep breaths…
Summary:
Following India’s dramatic six-run win at The Oval, Morne Morkel hoisted head coach Gautam Gambhir in celebration, as an ecstatic Gambhir screamed into his ear.