PICS: Siraj Scripts India's Great Escape

'Mohammed Siraj and the passion of the Indian boys was too strong and ultimately they deserve to win this Test match.'

India's Mohammed Siraj celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of England's Jamie Overton

IMAGE: Mohammed Siraj celebrates with team-mates after taking Jamie Overton's wicket on Day 5 of the 5th Test at The Oval on Monday, August 4, 2025. Photograph: Paul Childs/Reuters

Mohammed Siraj was inspired as India took the last four wickets in under an hour to bowl England out for 367 and win an astonishing final Test by six runs to draw the series on Monday.

Siraj was India's hero, dismissing Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton before bowling Gus Atkinson to complete a fivewicket haul.

SCORECARD

After Prasidh Krishna had bowled Josh Tongue for nought, Chris Woakes walked out to bat wearing a sling to protect his dislocated shoulder with 17 runs still needed.

England's Gus Atkinson is bowled by India's Mohammed Siraj

IMAGE: Gus Atkinson bowled by Siraj to win the match for India and draw the Test series. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images via Reuters

Atkinson hit Siraj for six to give England brief hope and cleverly protected Woakes from the strike, but Siraj produced another brilliant yorker to earn India their narrowest ever Test win.

'With 60, 70-odd runs to win with seven wickets in hand you don't get to see many games like this,' Captain Shubman Gill said.

'Very happy to get this over the line, a little bit of luck for us.'

India's Mohammed Siraj celebrates taking the wicket of England's Jamie Overton.

IMAGE: Siraj celebrates Overton's wicket. Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Action Images via Reuters

England, 301-3 at one stage, lost seven wickets for 66 runs, a collapse prompted by Harry Brook's reckless dismissal after he had made a superb century.

India suddenly had a chink of hope and they took full advantage, removing Jacob Bethell and Joe Root (105) before bad light and rain ended the fourth day early.

England's Chris Woakes runs between the wickets

IMAGE: Chris Woakes, hand in sling, runs between the wickets. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images via Reuters

England still needed 35 runs to complete their second-highest Test run chase and by far the largest for any team on this ground.

The Oval was full for the final act of a series that fluctuated wildly over seven weeks and under grey skies in an atmosphere of unremitting tension as one of the most dramatic endings to a Test match duly played out.

Shubman Gill shakes hands with Chris Woakes after the wicket of England's Gus Atkinson

IMAGE: Shubman Gill shakes hands with Chris Woakes after the Test was won. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images via Reuters

'It has been one of the all-time best Test matches,' England Coach Brendon McCullum said.

'We turned up today with high hopes, but Mohammed Siraj and the passion of the Indian boys was too strong and ultimately they deserve to win this Test match,' he added.

'We had our chances, we will look back on our dropped catches and the position we were in with the bat.'

India's Mohammed Siraj poses after winning the player of the match award after India won the match at the The Oval on Monday

IMAGE: Siraj with the Player of the Match Award after India won The Oval Test. Photograph: Paul Childs/Reuters

It was fitting that Siraj was the main man for India because he had stepped over the boundary cushion after dropping Brook on 19 on Sunday, an error that looked likely to cost his team the game.

India's Yashasvi Jaiswal celebrates with teammates winning the 5th Test match to draw the series