Oval Test: Lion-hearted Siraj, brave Jaiswal inspire Indian fightback in thriller

India Today

2 days ago

If you're an Indian fan, chances are you may have lost all hope after witnessing the opening session on Day 2 of the Oval Test. Trailing England 1-2 heading into the series finale, India desperately needed a strong showing in their first innings to keep their hopes of levelling the series alive. However, they endured what was arguably their worst session of the tour on Friday morning-losing their last four wickets for just six runs and conceding 109 runs in 16 overs. | Oval Test, Day 2 Highlights - Scorecard |advertisementEven the most devoted Indian cricket fan might have considered switching off the television and planning a weekend that didn't involve watching the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.But then came a lion-hearted effort from Mohammed Siraj, ably supported by Prasidh Krishna, to script an almost implausible comeback with the ball. In the absence of their pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, Siraj and Prasidh dug deep and ensured that England were dismissed for 247. Tempers flared, words were exchanged and the Test match, much like the rest of the series, ebbed and flowed on Day 2.
Yes, England did take a lead-but the 23-run advantage looked far less daunting than what they had been threatening earlier, especially when Duckett and Crawley were in full flow, scoring at over seven runs an over during their explosive opening partnership.Siraj picked up four wickets, taking his tally to a series-leading 18, while Prasidh delivered a vastly improved performance in the second session to claim four wickets of his own-including that of the rampaging Crawley, who seemed on course for a rapid century.That's massive!Mohammed Siraj gets the huge breakthrough, Joe Root is gone!#ENGvIND 5th TEST, DAY 2 | LIVE NOW on JioHotstar pic.twitter.com/SsOchMIRoq— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) August 1, 2025By the close of play, India had turned the tables, ending the day with a 52-run lead after reaching 75 for 2. Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a brisk half-century, riding his luck after being dropped twice-once on 20 and again on 40.India lost No. 3 Sai Sudharsan with just 20 minutes left in the extended final session. In a tactical move, captain Shubman Gill opted not to walk in and instead sent in Akash Deep as nightwatchman.However, play was called off 15 minutes before the scheduled close after England captain Ollie Pope refused to bring on his spinners when the fading light was not good enough to operate with fast bowlers. It was a questionable decision, and India headed into stumps with their nightwatchman still at the crease alongside the well-set Jaiswal.advertisementJaiswal extended India's advantage with a fluent fifty. While the young opener certainly enjoyed a bit of luck, he ensured the scoreboard kept ticking. Unafraid to take risks, Jaiswal recognised that a purely defensive approach might not suit the spicy pitch at The Oval.Bazball meets its match ball #SonySportsNetwork #ENGvIND #NayaIndia #DhaakadIndia #TeamIndia #ExtraaaInnings | @ybj_19 pic.twitter.com/2QofQuC9ct— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) August 1, 2025SIRAJ STEPS UP IN BUMRAH'S ABSENCE, AGAINIndia appeared to miss Jasprit Bumrah more than ever as England dominated the opening session, threatening to bat the visitors out of the contest. Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley took an aggressive approach, standing well outside their crease to negate swing and playing with fearless intent, which completely unsettled the Indian pace trio.England raced to fifty in just 7.1 overs, compounding India's woes. The morning began with India losing overnight batters Karun Nair and Washington Sundar cheaply, and ended with them conceding nearly half their total in boundaries.Duckett was at his audacious best-charging down the track against the quicks and executing reverse scoops with ease. He struck five fours and two sixes before falling to Akash Deep while attempting another reverse scoop. That dismissal turned out to be the only bright spot for India in an otherwise forgettable first session.advertisementHowever, the lunch break offered India a much-needed breather after the onslaught. When they returned for the second session, there was a noticeable shift in their approach. The bowlers were more patient, choosing to let the helpful conditions at The Oval assist them rather than going in search of extravagant movement.The transformation was immediate. Prasidh Krishna, who had gone for 31 runs in his five overs in the first session, struck the first blow after lunch-removing the dangerous Zak Crawley for 64 with a short ball. Crawley, caught off guard by the extra pace, fell to a delivery that was consistently clocking over 145 kph.Then it was Mohammed Siraj's turn. The Hyderabad pacer produced a fiery spell to dismiss Ollie Pope, Joe Root, and Jacob Bethell. He ramped up the pace and cleverly used scrambled seam and angles from the crease to extract movement off the surface. Both Pope and Root were outdone by balls that deviated sharply after pitching.Siraj's third wicket-Bethell-was a searing yorker that left the young left-hander, standing in for the injured Ben Stokes, with no answer. Siraj's three-wicket burst was central to India's dominance in the post-lunch session.advertisementEngland collapsed from 109 for 1 to 215 for 7 in that session, with Siraj's lion-hearted spell dragging India back into the match. He bowled eight overs on the trot, showing remarkable stamina despite the physical toll of having played all five Tests in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.Harry Brook waged a lone battle for England, scoring a controlled half-century to ensure the hosts edged into the lead. But even he couldn't escape Siraj's wrath, falling to the pacer who finished with an impressive four-wicket haul."Siraj has a big heart. And with a heart like that, you can push through pain, push through fatigue, and deliver spells like this," said former India fast bowler Varun Aaron on JioHotstar."An eight-over burst in the fifth Test, bowled at that intensity-he was touching 140 kph throughout. Watching him charge in was a sight for sore eyes. It was beautiful."England were also hampered by the absence of Chris Woakes, who was ruled out after dislocating his shoulder on Day 1, leaving them a batter short.India eventually secured a lead of 52 runs by stumps, but all eyes will now be on the crucial first session on Saturday. The team that seizes the advantage in the morning could well dictate the direction of the Test. India will be keen to set England a target in excess of 250, mindful of their ability to chase in the fourth innings in the Bazball era.- EndsTune InYou May Also Like