With a thrilling series put to bed after India’s stunning heist on Day 5 at the Oval marked the series level 2-all, India captain Shubman Gill recalled how things had partially flared up on the field in the heat of the moment with his seam spearhead, Mohammed Siraj. Having carried a massive load across all five Tests, Siraj was still in his element when he and Gill had devised one final plan in their bid to stop the England lower-order from taking the hosts over the line for the series-deciding victory in London.
Needing 35 with only four wickets in hand, Siraj landed the early blow on the final day after he dismissed wicket-keeper Jamie Smith and backed it up by trapping Jamie Overton lbw in his following over. However, Gus Atkinson’s lusty blows threatened to stub India’s attack, especially when he shepherded strike and protected last batter Chris Woakes who had dramatically walked in as the last man with a dislocated shoulder.
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A plan to stop Atkinson from retaining the strike at the end of overs turned out to be futile in the 84th over, leaving Siraj fuming. The bowler had proposed his captain with an idea to negate Atkinson the single with a wide yorker and wanted wicket-keeper Dhruv Jurel to take one glove off. Speaking to reporters at the end of the Test, Gill revealed that Siraj’s plan did not bear fruition as he could not relay the message to Jurel in time.
“He (Siraj) had told me to ask Dhruv Jurel to remove his gloves for the run-out,” Gill said.
“Jab tak maine Dhruv ko bola, ye bhagne lag gaya aur usko time nahi mila. Toh usne miss kardi and isne mujhe bola, ‘Tune bola kyu nahi? (By the time I told Dhruv, Siraj had already started his run-up, and so he didn’t get time to take his gloves off. Once he missed, Siraj questioned me, ‘Why didn’t you tell him?’),” Gill said.
While Atkinson and Woakes run a bye to get the former back on strike, Siraj put the lid on the Test with his fifth wicket off a loopy full-toss that crashed into Atkinson’s stumps in his next over.
