England dominated the morning session on Day 2, but India’s quicks turned the tide
ESPNcricinfo staff01-Aug-2025
Mohammed Siraj pinned Joe Root lbw with seam in and low bounce•Associated Press
Tea Ladies and gentlemen, we have a ball game. A spirited second session of day two from India – namely Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna – has lit a fire under this fifth Test at The Oval, leaving England 215 for 7 at tea, trailing by nine. Harry Brook, fiery on 33 not out, remains England’s best hope of a worthwhile lead with England two wickets away from the end of their reply due to Chris Woakes’ shoulder injury.Three wickets each for Siraj and Prasidh more or less overturned the dominance asserted by openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett. They had propelled England to 109 for 1 at lunch, after Gus Atkinson’s fourth five-wicket haul had capped India’s first innings at 224.Any thoughts of that being under par have been struck from the mind, primarily down to an eight-over spell from Siraj that read 3 for 35, with stand-in skipper Ollie Pope, the prized wicket of Joe Root and Jacob Bethell seen off in the space of 12 overs of play.All three were found wanting by Siraj’s late movement off the surface, with the slightest lack of bounce, from The Micky Stewart Members’ Pavilion End. Pope’s required a review – despite striking the back pad plumb in front – before Root used one in vain to be dismissed for 29. Bethell simply walked.Prasidh could perhaps take an assist for Root’s wicket, having riled up the No. 2 on the all-time Test runs chart. Having thrown a ball at Crawley upon fielding in his follow-through – the pair exchanged an immediate apology and acceptance, respectively – Prasidh was in the book when Crawley failed to clear Ravindra Jadeja at midwicket for 64. He had earlier brought up his third half century of the series, and second in a row, from 42 deliveries.Root arrived and the pair became embroiled in a back and forth which left England’s No. 4 fuming. Prasidh then relieved Siraj and took India through to the break with two wickets in five deliveries; as Jamie Smith nicked high to KL Rahul at second slip and Jamie Overton was trapped LBW for what proved to be the final ball of the session.Prasidh Krishna struck twice in the last over before tea•Getty Images
It was a complete sea change from the morning, which featured Atkinson’s 5 for 33 upon his return to the side after two months out. He made light work of what remained of India’s first innings when they arrived on Friday morning on 204 for 6.It was all the more important after news this morning that Woakes would play no further part in the match after a suspected dislocated shoulder sustained in the field last night. And the Surrey quick, on his home ground, took three of the remaining four wickets that India had up their sleeve.Josh Tongue made the first key incision, albeit with a chaotic approach that would get any surgeon struck off. His first over, opening from the Vauxhall End, went for nine, but he was able to remove Karun Nair for 57 in his second. A sharp delivery that nipped into the stumps – Nair no doubt expected something short and wide either side of them – pinned the right-hander on the back leg. Plumb in front, Nair took one of India’s three reviews with him.Washington Sundar should have assumed the responsibility at that point as an elongated tail became exposed, but he fell five deliveries later, waltzing into a short ball trap, heaving Atkinson to deep square leg, where Jamie Overton sprinted in to take a smart catch.Atkinson would then skittle Siraj before Prasidh felt for a delivery outside off, completing a collapse of four for six in 18 balls. It also leaves Atkinson with an average of 21, the fourth best for an England seamer with fifty or more dismissals, and the second best strike rate, ever, at 34.9, for those who have taken 60 wickets.England’s openers were boundary happy, smoking 92 off just 77 deliveries, punishing India for every slight error in line or length. Duckett was the main driver, reverse-pulling Akash Deep over the cordon, then “conventionally” ramping Siraj into the sponge for the first two sixes of the match.Duckett fell to Akash Deep attempting a third, departing for 43 with the bowler putting his arm around the left-hander, as much in jest as respect.
