New Delhi: After 25 days of hard-fought and grueling Test cricket between India and England, the five-match series ended in a draw. While the fifth and final Test at The Oval had long gone in favour of England, Day 5 gave a dramatic finish that was worthy of a blockbuster climax.
Indian pacers Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, with their fiery spells, pulled off a stunning six-run victory to level the series, drawing the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Siraj, who had dropped Harry Brook on Day 4–what many thought was also the match–redeemed himself by taking a fifer, including three crucial ones on the final day.
After sending back Jamie Smith (2) and Jamie Overton (9), Siraj sealed the win by dismissing Gus Atkinson as England were bowled out for 367 while chasing 374.
Prasidh Krishna also played a key role, taking four wickets and leading India’s fightback on Day 4.
Together, the duo engineered one of India’s most unforgettable final-day Test victories, also their narrowest ever, transforming what seemed like a sure shot defeat into an edge-of-the-seat win.
The final Test also summed up the essence of the five-match series–nail-biting finishes, low-margin victories, tons of centuries, and five-wicket hauls.
As the 25-day Test cricket comes to a close, ThePrint brings a quick highlight of the five-match series.
Test 1: England chase down 371 at Headingley
Shubman Gill’s captaincy debut started on a very disappointing note as India lost the opener by five wickets. Despite five Indian centuries, by Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and two by Rishabh Pant, lower-order collapses in both the innings and multiple dropped catches cost the Indian side.
England’s dominant fourth-innings chase of 371 at Headingley, led by Ben Duckett’s 149. Their aggressive 82-over run chase secured them a sixth straight win at Leeds, validating Ben Stokes’ decision to bowl first.
Jasprit Bumrah, who picked a fifer in the first innings, went wicketless in the second, while Duckett and Zak Crawley’s 188-run stand frustrated the Indian bowling attack.
Root and Smith finished the job with an unbeaten 71-run partnership as many cricket commentators raised questions on India’s poor lower order and bowling depth.
Test 2: A commanding triumph for India
India shrugged off the disappointment from the first match and bounced back registering a 336-run victory over England in the second Test at Edgbaston, leveling the series 1-1. It was also their first-ever Test win at the venue.
India also recorded its biggest win margin in away Tests. The side’s previous best win-margin outside India was 317 runs which it managed against West Indies at North Sound in 2019.
In order to manage his workload, Bumrah sat out, and his replacement, Akash Deep, went on to pick a five-wicket haul (6 for 99). He continued his seam movement in the second innings and dismantled England’s batting, finishing with ten wickets in the match. The Test match was also special because Gill broke a series of batting records by scoring 430 runs, including a double century and another ton.
Gill broke Virat Kohli’s record (293) for most runs by an Indian captain in a Test, scoring 430 runs. And, he also cruised past Sunil Gavaskar’s record (344) for the highest match aggregate by an Indian in a Test. He is now the second Indian to score a double century and a century in the same Test, after Gavaskar. Gill has also become the first player in Test history to score both a 250 and a 150 in the same match.
For England, Jamie Smith stood out with his resilient 88-run knock, but lacked support, as Akash Deep and offspinner Washington Sundar dismantled the middle order.
On Day 5, storms did delay the match but not India’s momentum. Once play resumed, wickets fell one after the other.
Despite a few missed chances in the field, India dominated all five days.
Also read: 3 centuries, 3 five-wicket hauls & a nail-biter finish. Recap of India-England final Test match
Test 3: The Ben Stokes show
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the third Test match was a Ben Stokes show all the way. His fierce bowling led England to a thrilling 22-run Test win over India at Lord’s, the closest in the ground’s history.
Stokes bowled two marathon spells on the final day, 19.2 overs in total, and was instrumental in a 106-run defence.
India at one point required 135 runs to win but collapsed under pressure, losing 3 for 11 in the morning session. Despite resistance from Ravindra Jadeja, who scored a fourth consecutive fifty, and Jasprit Bumrah’s defence, the tail couldn’t hold the attack.
Shoaib Bashir, bowling with a broken finger, took the final wicket as he bowled out Siraj, who was left in utter shock. Jofra Archer, who was returning after four years, made a fiery impact by claiming five wickets in the match.
This Lord’s Test was a battle of wills, with Stokes, bowling 44 overs, claiming five wickets, at the epicenter—exhausted, triumphant, and once again the heart of England’s fight.
Test 4: A rare draw pulled off by Jadeja-Washington
The fourth Test at Old Trafford ended in a rare draw for England, despite being in a dominant position. India was reeling at 1 for 2 at lunch on day four and trailing by over 300, but they pulled off a remarkable fightback.
Shubman Gill led from the front with his century, his fourth of the series, and built a 188-run stand with KL Rahul. Stokes, battling cramp and a shoulder injury, removed Rahul for 90 on Day 5 but lacked support as the pitch flattened out. Later, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja held the fort with their 203-run partnership to save the match.
Both Washington and Jadeja scored their maiden and deserved centuries, frustrating a worn-out England bowling attack.
England’s offer of a draw was rejected, and as tempers frayed, part-timer Harry Brook stepped in to bowl, allowing India’s all-rounders to reach their milestones.
(Edited by Vidhi Bhutra)
Also read: With 1,113 deliveries & highest wickets, Siraj shows a large heart in England Test series