At The Oval, it was Siraj who delivered a comeback spell, reducing England from a dominant position of 301/4 to 367 all out while chasing 374, bowling brilliantly and relentlessly in tandem with Prasidh Krishna.
Siraj gave a fiery send-off to Head, who struck his second Test century against India and eighth overall.
India's Champions Trophy squad has raised eyebrows with a number of bold selections, including a spin-heavy attack and the exclusion of experienced pacer Mohammed Siraj.
Siraj, Krishna, Akash Shine as India's Pace Future Takes Shape
India pacer Mohammed Siraj broke his silence on the controversial send-off and war of words with Travis Head.
The delivery, which Siraj played down onto the pitch in front of the crease, spun back and rattled the base of his leg stump, sparking wild celebrations in England camp.
At 37, the numbers behind his all-format dominance reveal not just longevity but an unmatched hunger for excellence.
Chasing 121 for victory, India were 63/1 at stumps and West Indies will draw solace from being able to force a final-day finish after being made to follow on.
'Jassibhai told me "Don't run after wickets, just keep bowling consistently in one area and enjoy your bowling".'
With no ODI series in Australia in the next two years, it is impossible to think that the legendary duo will again be seen Down Under in India blues.
K L Rahul made a solid 74 before retiring hurt as India remained on course to chase a formidable 412-run target set by Australia A on day three of the second unofficial Test in Lucknow on Thursday.
'Rishabh Pant is not fit for West Indies series, hopefully he will be available for home Tests against South Africa.'
Images from Day 4 of the fifth Test between England and India at The Oval, London, on Sunday.
Mohammed Siraj launched Stumped: Life Behind and Beyond the Twenty-Two Yards, the autobiography of 1983 World Cup-winning wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani.
Needing 7 to win, Siraj is given the ball and who better than Mr Lion Heart to script India's narrowest win in Test cricket. It takes Siraj a stinging yorker to send Atkinson's stumps flying -- the ball hitting low on the off stump.
Mohammed Siraj has bowled an impressive 155-plus overs across nine England innings and not once did the thought of physical breakdown during a marathon series cross his mind.
'Siraj is a captain's dream. Gave it his all every ball and every spell he bowled.'
Rohit further defended Arshdeep's selection, pointing to his experience in high-pressure situations in T20Is and his potential to deliver in ODIs.
The short turnaround time from the high of winning a controversy-marred Asia Cup notwithstanding, Shubman Gill's India will be outright favourites against a struggling and under-strength West Indies when the teams face-off on a green-top in the first Test in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
BCCI posted a video of Rohit, Siraj and Yashasvi Jaiswal speaking about their catches and 'decoding' the win.
There is a school of thought that having done the hard yards in the England series, Karun Nair deserves an opportunity against a weaker opposition where a century could boost his career.
Skipper Shubman Gill had a long batting stint while the troika of Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel returned to action for India's final training session here on Wednesday before the first Test against the West Indies.
Images from Day 2 of the fifth Test between England and India at The Oval, London, on Friday.
Devon Conway had a lively moment or two with a heated Mohammed Siraj after driving him for a boundary in the 15th over.
Jasprit Bumrah revealed that Mohammed Siraj has been bowling with a niggle and praised him for fighting through pain.
Siraj was the day's hero and India have pulled ahead, but England are not out of the contest by any stretch of imagination.
'There is always a plan. Whenever you can give him a break, you will.'
Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Akash Deep and Sarfaraz Khan along with Assistant Coach Abhishek Nayar reached Perth on Monday.
'Iron body with heart of a Lion. Mohammed Siraj.'
Shubman Gill was rewarded with the captaincy of the Indian ODI team for the upcoming tour of Australia, the BCCI announced on Saturday.
Perched on a steel beam, hundreds of feet above the ground, a construction worker watches intently - eyes locked not on the skyline, but on the drama unfolding at The Oval.
Ganguly, who is credited for transforming the Indian Test side from a struggling group into a formidable force, particularly in overseas conditions, revealed he was confident of India taking the remaining four wickets on the final day to pull off an extraordinary win.
Assessing Sai Sudharsan's temperament and Nitish Kumar Reddy's utility in home conditions would be topmost on India's checklist when the high-on-confidence hosts take on a floundering West Indies
The Indian team under Gautam Gambhir's coaching has been about multi-skilled cricketers, and Washington Sundar feels blessed that he is one of them.
'I told Jassi bhai, If I take five wickets, who should I hug?'
On this day in 2021, batting maestro Virat Kohli delivered his iconic speech during the team hurdle, "For 60 overs they should feel like hell out there."
India wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel, who played in the fifth and final Test at The Oval against England in their last assignment, has been named Iyer's deputy.
Prasidh Krishna has the ability to bowl "magic balls" and the pacer needs to be given an extended run to serve India for a long time, said bowling coach Morne Morkel in London on Sunday.
India seamer Mohammed Siraj meets CM Revanth Reddy after T20 WC triumph
For their next assignment in the ICC World Test Championship cycle, the two-time WTC runners up will aim to grab maximum points across those four home clashes. Here are five key questions the side must answer prior to their next Test match-up.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances