India vs England 5th Test: Siraj’s Late Breakthrough Leaves England 50/1 at Stumps

India tightened their grip on the fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy as Mohammed Siraj’s searing yorker cleaned up Zak Crawley at the stroke of stumps, leaving England tottering at 50/1 while chasing a daunting 374. 

Earlier, Yashasvi Jaiswal slammed a second-innings century, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja struck gritty fifties, and Josh Tongue claimed a five-wicket haul to set the stage for a nerve-jangling final two days at The Oval.

[UPDATE] Who were the standout players in the India vs England 5th Test?

From the moment Jaiswal walked out on Day 3, he looked like a sculptor chiseling his masterpiece. Despite early scares and multiple dropped chances, the southpaw brought up his fourth hundred against England and sixth overall. 

His innings was not textbook elegance but chaotic genius, gritty, scratchy, yet impactful. Akash Deep, the nightwatchman, turned the script upside down with a defiant maiden Test fifty that drained England’s bowlers.

While Jaiswal played the headline act, Sundar’s explosive counterattack and Jadeja’s calculated accumulation pushed India to 396. England’s bowlers, missing the control of Chris Woakes, looked more like tourists on a whirlwind double-decker tour. 

Josh Tongue, though, held his own with a five-wicket haul, showing flashes of menace amid England’s fielding chaos.

I have never seen Mohammed Siraj give even an inch away on a cricket field. He is a lion-hearted cricketer who deserves nothing but RESPECT!
That’s a jaffa from siraj. DSP Siraj arrested the first one with an excellent Yorker. pic.twitter.com/cMF1hcwKBf

— . (@kadaipaneer_) August 2, 2025

[TRENDING] Which bowlers made an impact in the 5th Test? 

The pitch at The Oval resembled a patchwork quilt, some parts flat as glass, others ragged and reactive. Indentations near the good length area kept seamers interested, particularly Siraj, who plotted Crawley’s downfall like a chessmaster planning a sacrifice. 

It was a classic one-two setup, deep square-leg moved back, baiting Crawley into expecting the short one, only for Siraj to conjure up a snorter of a yorker that uprooted middle stump.

Earlier in the day, Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep bowled in patches, with inconsistent lines that briefly let Duckett breathe. But Gill’s rotations, especially bringing Siraj in early, tightened the noose. 

With the ball misbehaving, the forecast sunny, and a crumbling pitch, the Indian bowling unit now holds the whip hand.

India vs England Match Scorecard 

England needs 324 more runs and is in a tricky situation. Do they go after this total with the strong push that has marked the Bazball time? 

Or do they stay low on a field that starts to spit poison? So far, only Duckett has seemed calm, playing carefully while England walks a fine line between trying hard and falling apart. Stokes and Woakes not being there has changed things. 

If the ball keeps bouncing and moving around, this could be less about chasing and more about just getting by.

Writer’s Thoughts

Here is my take, this Test feels like a big poker game with India in control. Shubman Gill is calm as a captain, and Siraj made a big impact at the end. Things are looking good for India. 

England, even with their confidence, now have to deal with the tough truth of chasing over 300 runs in the last innings on a tricky pitch. 

With spinners ready and gaps getting bigger, Day 4 might show if England can pull off something amazing or give in to the stress of chasing what’s not there.

The post India vs England 5th Test: Siraj’s Late Breakthrough Leaves England 50/1 at Stumps appeared first on JeetWin Blog.