Team India registers narrowest Test win by runs at The Oval, outdoes their 21-year-old record

London [UK], August 4 (ANI): Team India made history at The Oval, registering their narrowest Test win in terms of runs, by six runs, during the fifth and final Test against England at The Oval on Monday.
On the fifth and final day, with 35 runs still needed to get for England, pacers Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna were extremely relentless, putting pressure and every inch of their effort and body on every ball. The result was England falling short by six runs of the 374-run target, with Siraj taking a five-wicket haul and Prasidh getting four wickets.
This outdoes their 13-run win against Australia at Wankhede Stadium in 2004, which came while defending 107 runs, and they skittled out Aussies for 93 runs, with Murali Karthik taking seven wickets in the match to walk away with the 'Player of the Match' honours.
This is the first time India has won the 5th match of a Test series away from home.
After England opted to bowl first, they reduced India to 153/6. A 58-run partnership between Karun Nair (57 in 109 balls, with eight fours) and Washington Sundar (26 in 55 balls, with three fours) was the most meaningful part of the inning as India was bundled out for 224 runs. Apart from Gus Atkinson's five-wicket haul, Josh Tongue (3/57) was also good.
In the second innings, four-fers from Siraj (4/86) and Prasidh Krishna (4/62) reduced England to 247, despite a 92-run opening stand between Zak Crawley (64 in 57 balls, with 14 fours) and Ben Duckett (43 in 38 balls, with five fours and two sixes) and a fifty by Harry Brook (53 in 64 balls, with five fours and a six). They led by 23 runs.
In India's second innings, key contributions came from Yashasvi Jaiswal (118 in 164 balls, with 14 fours and two sixes), Akash Deep (66 in 94 balls, with 12 fours), Ravindra Jadeja (53 in 77 balls, with five fours) and Washington Sundar (53 in 46 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes). Sundar stitched a very crucial 10th wicket stand with Krishna, with the latter scoring nothing out of it and Sundar doing all the hitting.
They all took India to 396 runs, giving them a 373-run lead and setting a target of 374 runs for England to win the series.
India started well, reducing England to 106/3. However, fine centuries from Harry Brook (111 in 98 balls, with 14 fours and two sixes) and Joe Root (105 in 152 balls, with 12 fours) troubled India with a 195-run stand for the fourth wicket. At one point, England was 317/4 on day four. However, a late surge by Siraj (5/104) and Krishna (4/126) shifted the pressure to England, and they were left six runs short, bundled out for 367 runs.
The series is drawn 2-2, reflecting the true nature of how well-fought the series was. The Shubman Gill era has started with immense promise and fight, giving signs of a bright future. (ANI)