India win all-time Test despite Woakes heroics

The Kia Oval, Day 5, Fifth Rothesay Test

India 224 (Nair 57, Atkinson 5-33, Tongue 3-57) &amp, 396 (Jaiswal 118, Tongue 5-125)

England 247 (Crawley 64, Krishna 4-62, Siraj 4-86) &amp, 367 (Brook 111, Root 105, Siraj 5-104)

Six wickets, six draws, and 2-2 series win.

An irresistible India, who won by six runs in one of the most dramatic turns in Test cricket history, denied England a record-breaking run chase.

When England needed 17 to reach their target of 374, Chris Woakes came out with his arm in a sling in scenes that will go down in British sporting folklore.

Atkinson attempted to win England, but Woakes received a hero’s welcome and stood at the non-striker’s end.

Atkinson and Woakes attempted to lead England on in the midst of the obscene roar of the irate Indian support, despite the almost intolerable tension at The Oval.

After Atkinson slammed Mohammed Siraj for six, Woakes gave up wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, who missed the stumps, for Atkinson to pinch the strike.

The field was kept back by India. The following over was bowled by Prasadh Krishna. With the strike, Wakes was able to run a two before taking a crucial single off the final ball to give Atkinson.

However, Siraj’s brilliant bowling of Atkinson gave India their lone test victory.

It brought the 25th day of outstanding sporting theater to a close with one of the greatest series ever played level at 2-2.

The fifth day provided drama that was barely believable, even if the fourth day of this Test was astonishing for its fluctuations and high emotion.

England’s 374-run target was both their second-highest successful chase in a Test match and the highest ever on this ground. They began Monday on 339-6, 35 adrift.

Before the weather caused play to end early on Sunday, Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton were given a rough time. When Overton pulled Krishna’s first ball of the day for four and inside-edging the subsequent delivery past his stumps to the fine-leg fence on Monday, England’s task appeared much easier.

The pendulum swung once more as the number of runs needed was 27.

Smith looked down at sea from every angle. He threw his third ball, edged, and played, but he missed Siraj’s first two. There was no doubt that Jurel had pouched the catch, but there was a wait and see.

At the second slip, Atkinson was inches away from KL Rahul when he edged the first ball he faced. The ground was surrounded by noise from India’s fans, who were comfortably more popular than England fans.

Siraj came in once more. Overton’s pad was full of games. Overton had run, but it took him so long for Imprey Kumar Dharmasena to raise his finger. The England man began to mark his guard because he was so confident that the review would save him, only to hear the umpire’s recommendation to cut the leg stump in replay. India was insane.

Atkinson pondered whether to trust Josh Tongue or to farm the strike. Floodlights started to appear in the sky as they did. Before Krishna, the review revealed the ball had a missing leg stump, but the tongue was given. 19 was still required in England

When Krishna bowled Tongue, England added two more. Woakes appeared to bat only to show up with his left arm covered in his England sweater, causing confusion.

In the end, Woakes will never forget how bravely he fought against ball.

Akash Deep parried Atkinson’s powerful blow off Siraj, leaving England with 11 points to win. Shubman Gill, the captain of India, had to decide whether to protect the boundary from the single or to bring in the field. The latter was his choice. When he shuffled the bye off Siraj’s final ball, Wakes was clearly hurt.

At the beginning of the next over, Atkinson dug out Krishna for two to three more. The field was retained by India. Another single was taken by England. When Siraj began his journey, they needed seven.