It was a moment that could’ve changed the tide — but instead, it flipped it the other way. On a gripping morning at The Oval, India struck twice to claw back control, only for a shocking boundary-rope blunder by Mohammed Siraj to let England off the hook.
Just as India threatened to take full control before lunch, a costly fielding lapse by Mohammed Siraj handed England a lifeline — and it couldn't have come at a worse time.
The dramatic moment unfolded on the first ball of the 35th over. Prasidh Krishna dug in a short delivery that Harry Brook top-edged towards long leg. As the ball sailed toward Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh began celebrating, confident the catch was a formality.
Siraj did complete the catch — but heartbreak followed. Unaware of his proximity to the boundary rope, Siraj’s back foot made contact with it just as he caught the ball, converting a potential wicket into a six.
The horror was immediate. Siraj froze, then buried his face in his palms, avoiding eye contact with teammates. Prasidh stood stunned, his celebration cut short. In the Indian dressing room, head coach Gautam Gambhir looked shell-shocked, unable to believe what he’d witnessed.
The miss proved doubly costly as Brook capitalised instantly, dispatching two boundaries in the same over to shift pressure back onto India.
At the lunch break, with the match finely poised, Siraj approached Prasidh to apologise. The two shared a quiet hug — a gesture of unity in a high-pressure moment.
