THE OVAL REFLECTION

With the 5th test concluding...The most thrilling,nerve-wracking,testing,challenging and hard-fought series I ever witnessed came to an end.

7187 runs...172 wickets...21 centuries...Captain Gill,KL,Jaddu,Siraj,Prasidh,Bumrah,Jaiswal&Sundar performing at their best...A Pant&Woakes Heroic...Stokes courage and Bazball...25 days...73 sessions and 5 tests... A series full of drama,thrill,emotions,courage&actions comes to an end.The following is a review of the Famous 5th test between India and England played at the Oval which India won by a sleak margin of 6 runs.

BATTING: 

Day 1 started with typical English overcast conditions,a very green pitch[which was seen first time this tour]&selection questions of no 4th pacer and playing just 3 pacers for India...amidst all India was put into bat on Day 1 which was filled with rain,clouds,swing and seam.

India coming into bat faced the early blow of Jaiswal making just 2 falling once again to the off-side trap...Just when KLR was looking resistant,he got bowled due to an inside-edge falling for just 14.Sudharsan's classic drives and beautiful leaves along with Gill's flair gave hopes to India when they were 38-2...just then happened what shouldn't have had...The GILL-SAI running woes which were evident were exploited with Gill going for an unnecessary run and getting out on 21...In came Karun who was the extra batter this match at 5...eventually just 8 OVERS after Gill...Sai's monk type resistance came to an end at 38 with India struggling at 101-4...Jadeja who looked in sublime form also got out just after leaving India 123-5...Came in Jurel who also got out early scoring 19 which looked promising ...India were 153-6 when Sundar and Karun stitched a 60-run partnership where Karun who always got starts this series finally converted this into 50...a 50 after 3147 days in international cricket straight after his triple-ton...just when he looked going he fell early on Day 2 at 57 LBW...India went 20-4 at Day 2...Sundar tried to attack but the last 3 wickets fell for just 6 runs making India 224 all-out.

The English 1st innings started with BAZBALL...literally BAZBALL...nothing in between.Duckett&Crawley's 93-run partnership in just 12.5 overs ended with Duckett falling at 43 off 38...later went out Crawley who scored a free-flowing 64[57] while playing a short delivery and then not later went Pope the Captain back in the hut scoring just 22...After this came a Root-Krishna spicy altercation and England eventually went to 175-3...then came the Collapse...England suddenly fell to 215-7 with Root,Bethell,Smith&Overton scoring just 29,6,8&0 respectively...things looked bleak and taking a lead looked difficult...but then emerged Harry Brook who with his fighting&attacking 53 off 64 gave took the score to 247 all out with a lead of 23 runs.

In the 2nd innings,the pitch looked better but the swing&seam was still there...Indian batters had a challenge upon them...at the dusk of Day 2 KL fell early for just 7 after a 46 run opening stand and then fell Sudharsan for 11 leaving India at 70-2 when Akashdeep came in as the night watchman who negated the last 3-4 deliveries of the day...but the highlight was JAIS-BALL...an counter-attacking innings scoring runs square of the wicket...with sublime cuts,upper-cuts and pulls scoring a 50 and going not out...DAY 3...the day of surprises started with our very own Akashdeep&Jaiswal having a 107 run partnership where Akash took the front seat and Jaiswal the back with Akash playing like a proper no.4...defence,cuts,pulls,drives and what not....HUMARA AKASH-KOHLI-DEEP Garda udaa chuka tha...he finished his innings just before lunch at 66...carrying the 'Indian bowlers scoring in England' legacy forward...be it Ajit Agarkar 2002 or Anil Kumble 2007 or Amit Mishra 2014 or Bumrah-Shami duo 2021...then 1st ball after lunch fell Captain Gill...just touching distance away from a Bradman record scoring 754 runs in 10 innings...Nair's series of 'What ifs and What Not's'came to an end with 17 runs leaving India at 229-5...Jaiswal ended the series the way he started it...with a 100 which can be divided in 2 phases.. A counter-attacking phase& a cautious and watchful phase...took advantage of the bounce of the wicket and no fielders behind the wicket...he scored 118...Then the DJ&RJ duo lit the stage with a 50[72] partnership with The Greatest All-Rounder once again re-defing his batting with a 50 and becoming 1st Indian to score over 500 runs[batting 6 or below] in a series and Jurel with 34...then when India were 357-9 looking for some extra runs...emerged   WASH-BALL shutting all doubts about him not being able to play bouncers and with the tail...smashing bouncers for sixes and fours and scoring a 50 of just under 40 balls and ending at 53...with India 396 all out and England with a target of 374.

Then came the magical 4th innings of the match...an innings which started with a 50-run opening stand and the Crawley trying to waste time getting out on last ball of the day 3 to Miyan Magic...Duckett scored an unusual sorts of defensive 50 according to his standards and bowing out and Pope out on 27...leaving England 106-3...Then came the Root-Brook duo who single-handedly with measured shots from Root and counter-attack from Brook amidst Brook being dropped by Siraj eventually costing 90 runs with both scoring 105[Root]& 111[Brook]...England comfortably sat on 301-3.

BOWLING:

A bowler's heaven and a Batter's graveyard....this is the best way to describe the Oval pitch on Day 1...but England...they did not use it to its best use...a very wayward Josh Tongue with a fairly new Overton and the cherry on top to their woes was the injury of Woakes by the end of Day 1...Atkinson was the only bowler looking in good form and shape...pitching deliveries in the right areas and eventually getting a 5-fer[Jaiswal,Jurel,Sundar,Siraj&Prasidh] along with a Gill run out...Tongue improving his bowling on Day 2 eventually got 3 wickets[Sudharsan,Nair&Jadeja]... he was the bowler who out of blue after bowling bad lengths bowled 1 good delivery and Bang...he got a wicket...Woakes had picked up KL...all in all what could've been a 180 all out for India went onto 224 due to wayward lengths and bad bowling with 38 extras.

Indian 1st inning bowling is of 2 phases...A flustered phase 1 & a lethal phase 2...the first phase was headed by Bazball where England were eventually 175-3 in just 32.5 overs with a 93-run opening stand ...with Prasidh,Akashdeep&Siraj getting Crawley,Duckett&Pope respectively...The Akash-Duckett Altercation activated Bazball full of ramps,scoops,etc. which was eventually ended by a Scoop caught-behind...then the Holy-Duo of Mohammad&Krishna was at it...breathing fire...England went onto 175-3 to 247 all out...amidst all was a spicy Krishna-Root altercation & Siraj's fiery long 7-8 over spells which were evident even in the 2nd innings...Siraj[Pope,Root,Brook&Bethell] with 4 and Prasidh[Crawley,Smith,Overton&Atkinson]with 4 kept India alive.

The 2nd innings English bowling looked flustered with them not setting the right field for Jaiswal even though he kept scoring behind the wicket and square...taking Akashdeep lightly and at the end feeling the heat from RJ,DJ&Wash-Ball...the Englishmen were flustered...adding to their woes were 6-8 catch drops[3 of Yashasvi]& a mammoth 26 extras...the 3 pacers shared the burden with Tongue getting a 5-fer...Atkinson with 3& Overton with 2....eventually India scored 396...Overton is a bowler who can be considered unlucky this innings as 3 takeable catches were dropped on his bowling and he constantly created chances.

The Indian 2nd innings once again felt the Bazball heat at the start with a quick 50-run partnership between the Crawley-Ben duo...but a time wasting Crawley was brilliantly set up by Siraj&Gill making him play a Yorker while with a field of Bouncer...and he was bowled on the last ball of Day 3....the next day after Duckett scored a 50...a SIUraj over nipping the 6 balls away from Duckett stuck in my mind...later prasidh eventually got Duckett with Rahul's safe hands at slips...& an 8 over fiery Miyan spell got the better of Ollie Pope...England then went from 106-3 to 301-3 which saw the Indians cluless...planless...broken...flustered&as if they have had left hope...A Siraj catch drop of Brook on 21 with him eventually scoring 111...India looked completely out of the game.

THE THEATRE OF TEST CRICKET:

Edgbaston 2022...WTC 2023...Sydney 2024...CWC final 2023 & now there was Oval 2025....there is always a 4th wicket partnership mixed with India losing small key moments which haunt them but at 301-3 came a ray of hope...Brook stepping out...a top edge safely in the hands of Siraj not making a mistake this time...Akashdeep clinched Brook...once again a 30 run partnership was made...the equation you ask?...42 runs...6 wickets...easy win for England right?No...said the Holy Duo...Bethell with a rash shot once again opened the doors with Krishna bowling him out...then just a mere 2 overs later...THE ROOT was UProotED by Krishna....the crowds buzzing...enthusiasm filled in the Indians&then came rain calling the day off...

The series was set for a climatic finish...it's proper reflection.

37 runs & 4 wickets...India came out with the old ball on a slightly overcast morning doing loads...2 4s of first 2 balls then came the discipline...Smith caight-behind by Siraj...Overton LBW by Siraj...Tongue bowled by Prasidh...then the courage of Woakes came...DJ not taking out his gloves costed a run-out but him saving byes even saved the match...Atkinson going for big shots & Siraj with his determination...7 were needed and a Yorker bowled Atkinson...India won the test by smallest margin in its history...SIUUUURAJ's LONDON ARC was completed...the same stumps that were rattled in Lords got out a completely opposite emotion at the Oval...The pace trio without Bumrah pulled of a heist...imagine them with Bumrah....the Holy duo picking 4[Krishna]&5[Siraj] ensured that the TENDULKAR-ANDERSON TROPHY is 2-2 but a bigger joy in the Indian camp than the Englishmen...who choked & Indians cooked.

Captain Gill&Coach Gambhir announced their arrival...Indian test cricket is safe and will surely soar high...

Next up for this team is the Asia cup where the selection headache is high but this young team under Surya is ready...

JAI HIND...JAI BHARAT.