Mohammed Siraj's Stellar Spell Revives India Against England in Final Test

Siraj's Fiery Performance Shifts Momentum

Mohammed Siraj delivered a remarkable performance, claiming three wickets in a blistering eight-over spell, which significantly bolstered India's efforts during the afternoon session of the fifth and final Test against England on Friday.

By the time tea was called, England found themselves at 215 for seven, effectively eight down, as Chris Woakes was unable to bat due to a shoulder injury. They are now trailing India by nine runs.

The wickets that fell included key batsman Joe Root, who scored 29 runs off 45 balls, Zak Crawley with 64 off 57, stand-in captain Ollie Pope at 22, and Jacob Bethell, who managed just 6 runs off 14 deliveries.

A notable moment in the session was a heated exchange between Root and Prasidh Krishna, adding to the drama on the field.

After struggling against the England openers in the first session, the Indian pacers found their rhythm after the break. Prasidh Krishna dismissed Crawley, who mis-timed a pull shot that was caught at midwicket.

Siraj then took out Pope and Root with a well-placed nip backer before bowling an inswinging yorker that trapped Bethell in front of the stumps. The pitch continued to offer substantial support to the seam bowlers.

Siraj was relentless, showcasing his ability to target the pads with wobbling seam and generate late swing, demonstrating his commitment to the game despite the common practice of workload management.

Prasidh also had an impressive outing, claiming three wickets in the session, including Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton just before tea.

In the first session, Crawley and Ben Duckett aggressively attacked the Indian bowlers on a seaming pitch, leading to the visitors being bowled out for 224 within the first half-hour.

Duckett scored 43 runs off 38 balls, while Crawley found boundaries with ease on a green surface, where Gus Atkinson achieved a five-wicket haul by dismissing three Indian batsmen shortly after the match commenced. The hosts reached 109 for one in just 16 overs by lunch.

The trio of Akash Deep, Siraj, and Prasidh struggled to contain the England openers' assault. Fortunately for India, Duckett was caught behind just 15 minutes before lunch while attempting a reverse hit off Akash Deep.

The opening partnership yielded an impressive 92 runs off only 77 balls.

It was a rare sight to see Akash Deep wrap his arm around Duckett, sending him off with a smile.

Crawley struck five of his twelve fours off Siraj, including a straight drive, a punch through the covers, and a flick towards mid-wicket. He reached his fifty with a boundary to third man off Akash.

Duckett disrupted the pacers' rhythm by frequently dancing down the track, effectively using the cut shot against Akash.

He executed a reverse scoop off Akash and followed it up with a ramp shot for six off Siraj shortly thereafter.

Pope joined Crawley at the crease and began with a couple of beautifully timed cover drives.

In the first 30 minutes of play, India lost four wickets for a mere 20 runs after starting the day at 204 for six.

Overnight batsmen Karun Nair (57 off 109) and Washington Sundar (26 off 55) fell quickly, paving the way for Atkinson to clean up the tail.