Pacer Mohammed Siraj produced an unforgettable performance on the last day at The Oval, taking five important wickets to guide India to a heart-stopping six-run win against England.
His performance not only turned the match in India's direction but also made the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy come to a thrilling 2-2 tie on Monday.
England started the day as strong favourites, with only 35 runs to win with four wickets in hand. But India's bowlers came up with an incredible spell in the morning, claiming four wickets and turning the tables on a nail-biting last day.
"I have a wallpaper on my phone which reads Belief. And I always believe in myself. I was just looking to bowl in the right areas. I was not worried too much about whether I gave away a boundary or not. I just wanted to bowl in the right areas and take wickets," Siraj revealed after the nail-biting victory.
Siraj started his spell by sending Jamie Smith packing one run behind — the slight contact confirmed through UltraEdge. Then, Jamie Overton was lbw caught by a ball which jagged in sharply; England appealed, but the on-field umpire's call held. Soon after, Prasidh Krishna knocked Josh Tongue's stumps out with a precisely aimed yorker hitting 141 kph, taking England from 347/6 to 354/9.
All credit to Woakes, who insisted on batting with a dislocated shoulder, and Gus Atkinson, who supported him in taking England into touching distance of winning. But Siraj came back to complete the task — Atkinson edged one behind to Jurel behind the wickets — as India squeezed home by six runs.
For Siraj, the victory was particularly significant. He made amends for a critical error earlier in the series — spilling Harry Brook on the boundary, who took advantage of the lifeline to score 92 — and also came back from the bitter recall of Manchester, where he was last out trying to cling on.
Looking back at the decline, Siraj mentioned, "In all honesty, I didn't believe that after holding on to the catch, I would step on the boundary cushions. It was match-changing. Harry Brook went into T20 mode from there, and we were losing in that period. All thanks to the almighty."
He added, "I always have a belief in myself that I can do it for the team under any circumstances."
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