After 25 days of full-blooded test cricket, it came down to this: the one-armed last man barely standing and a broken England wondering how they let slip their biggest win of the Bazball era.
Chris Woakes put his battered body on the line in what could be his last Englandappearance, tucking his injured left arm in a sling under his jumper for protection and grimaced his way through four scampered runs to hand Gus Atkinson a chance to be the match-winning hero.
There were 17 needed when Woakes entered English cricketing folklore, having given coach Brendon McCullum a reassuring pat on the shoulder as he made his way out to a standing ovation.
England were within two hits of victory by the time Atkinson was on strike and a frantic morning entered its end phase. It was now or never after Atkinson had adroitly exploited some dumb Indian tactics to shepherd Woakes from having to face 85mph fast bowlers.
Atkinson had already swiped Siraj for one big six over long on – tipped over the rope by Prasidh Krishna – and went for an identical shot that would have tied the test had he connected.
England's Chris Woakes runs between wickets on the fifth and final day of the fifth Test cricket match between England and India at The Oval. Photo / AFP
But he missed and Siraj’s 1113th ball of the series knocked over his off stump to deliver India a six-run victory, their narrowest by runs, and a drawn series they fully deserved. It meant everything to Siraj and it would have been cruel after what he had done for India had his dropping of Harry Brook on 19 cost them the match.
After all the aggro, spirit of cricket rows, Rishabh Pant’s broken foot, Stokes’ superman heroics, a verbal punch up with a groundsman and Woakes’ stirring courage, a series that had everything was given a fitting, ear-splitting finale at a packed Oval where Indian cheers drowned out English in a mad hour that encapsulated the mental and physical rigours of test cricket.
England were gripped by nerves from the moment Brook was dismissed on Sunday evening, and the panic only worsened when they were presented with gloomy, swing and seam bowling conditions in the morning resuming on 339 for six needing 35 to win only to lose four for 29.
Hope faded quickly as a tentative Jamie Smith edged behind, Jamie Overton lost a very close leg-before referral and Josh Tongue was bowled neck and crop by Krishna.
Now, England must reflect on how they did not finish India off. Winning the series would have been the perfect launchpad for the Ashes. But yet again, Bazball entertained and produced unforgettable cricket but failed to nudge the series win column.
It is now seven series in a row since England won a series against India or the Ashes. It pre-dates the Bazball period, but despite the result, this time they go to Australia with far more hope than on recent visits and must be battle hardened by this experience.
The bowling attack has come together, the top seven is largely settled with the only question if they replace Ollie Pope after another ineffective series. He was totally emasculated at the Oval – Ben Stokes did the pre-match and post-match interviews. Has there ever been a more anonymous England captain?
To go so close to knocking off their second highest ever run chase a man down and without Stokes in the side was a valiant effort but it is a results business and the wider point is England have fallen just short in a series when they had numerous chances to win.
At Old Trafford, India were done and dusted in their second innings at nought for two and 311 behind, only for England to drop catches and Shubman Gill inspire his team to one of the great rearguards.
At the Oval, England were within 42 runs of the line and standing on the shoulders of Brook’s dazzling counterpunching century when Jacob Bethell lost his middle stump trying to slog across the line.
From there, England lost six for 34, as every ball suddenly became a wicket-taker. They lost their nerve. “We could have been braver,” admitted McCullum. “To not win, it is devastating,” said Brook. His hundred and Joe Root’s 105 deserved to win any match.
Dropped catches – there were six of them in this test – cost England 152 runs. Five were in the cordon and those must be held in Australia. They conceded 64 extras too, because a patched-up attack was rusty with no match practice.
