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England’s Gus Atkinson is bowled out by India’s Mohammed Siraj to give India victory. Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\nUpdated at\u00a007.01 EDT<\/p>\n
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Jaiswal blows kisses to the crowd. Siraj, with his arm around Gill, waves the match ball, Krishna brandishes a stump. They are applauded round the ground. What a match. What a series.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Siraj, still clutching the ball, speaks to DK, who translates. He says \u201cwhen he dropped that catch yesterday he felt very guilty, he wanted to be the guy who came here to finish it off. \u201c He sure did. Finishes with five for 104.<\/p>\n With seven wickets in hand yesterday, England needed 73. Now India do a victory lap of the ground.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Siraj leaps six feet in the air, raises both arms to the sky. Gill goes straight to Woakes and gives him a heartfelt handshake. Atkinson tucks his bat under his arm.<\/p>\n India’s Shubman Gill shakes hands with England’s Chris Woakes after India won the match. Photograph: Paul Childs\/Action Images\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.02 EDT<\/p>\n WICKET! Atkinson b Siraj 17 India win by six runs!<\/p>\n Off stump dances into the past. The match! The series tied! What a game.<\/p>\n England’s Gus Atkinson is bowled out by India’s Mohammed Siraj to give India victory. Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.01 EDT<\/p>\n 85th over: England 367-9 (Atkinson 17, Woakes 0) England need 7 to win A low full toss first ball, and they run two. Woakes grimaces in pain, looks as if he might be sick. Atkinson is the calmest man in the ground. Swings and misses. Gill and Krishna have a long chat. Atkinson misses again. And again. India keep the field out to the last ball and once again, England sneak the single. Woakes yet to face a ball. Huge applause from the crowd.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the cricketing equivalent of Alex Ferguson\u2019s famous Squeaky Bum Time? I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve unclenched for 15 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n Chris Woakes runs between the wickets with his arm in a sling. Photograph: Shaun Botterill\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.59 EDT<\/p>\n 84th over: England 364-9 (Atkinson 14, Woakes 0) England need 10 to win Woakes at the non-striker\u2019s end. Atkinson is going to have to do this in boundaries. Siraj with the ball. Every fielder on the rope. Woakes, left arm tucked inside his jumper, the crowd have their hands over their eyes. No!!! Atkinson heaves at Siraj on one knee, a slog sweep, the ball flies to long on where Akash Deep paws it over the rope. Could he have held on? On a good day with a following wind. But he didn\u2019t. With two balls left, a long talk between bowler and captain, they keep the field out. A full toss is missed by Atkinson, slides past leg stump, but is stopped by the keeper. Siraj falls to his knees. India keep the field out, for reasons I can\u2019t explain. It\u2019s wide, they go for a the run, the keeper throws at the stumps, but misses. Woakes completes the single in some pain.<\/p>\n Akash Deep of India reacts after failing to catch a shot from Gus Atkinson of England which then went for six. Photograph: Gareth Copley\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.53 EDT<\/p>\n WICKET! Tongue b Krishna 0 (England 357-9)<\/p>\n A yorker for the ages!<\/p>\n 83rd over: England 357-9( Atkinson 8, Woakes 0) England need 17 to win Atkinson doesn\u2019t take a single to the first three balls of the over. They risk the fourth, a miscued hook, but a wild throw from Siraj is rescued by his teammates. And then Tongue\u2019s stumps are splattered. Enter a one-armed Chris Woakes.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish to formally apologise to all of England and my American wife who supports England cricket (and plays for Germany), for jinxing this,\u201d writes Simon B. \u201cYesterday, with Root and Brooks set, I messaged my old cricket team chat and said: I don\u2019t want to jinx it, but England are going to win this.In retrospect I was a fool.\u201d<\/p>\n Simon, the fat lady is yet to sing (though I can hear her warbling in her warmup).<\/p>\n England\u2019s Josh Tongue is dismissed by India\u2019s Prasidh Krishna. Photograph: Ben Whitley\/PAKrishna (left) celebrates the dismissal of Tongue. Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth\/APEngland’s Chris Woakes walks out to bat. Photograph: Paul Childs\/Action Images\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.55 EDT<\/p>\n 82nd over: England 356-8( Atkinson 7, Tongue 0) England need 18 to win Siraj from the pavilion end. Atkinson takes a single first ball, leaving Tongue to play and miss. And play and miss. Oh bravo, an immaculate forward defensive. Siraj finishes with an outswinger to serve on a silver platter. Tongue survives.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.35 EDT<\/p>\n 81st over: England 355-8( Atkinson 6, Tongue 0) England need 19 to win Krishna. Atkinson goes for broke, cutting with feeling, but cut off at deep third. In the dressing-room window, Chris Woakes, left-arm tucked into his jumper, smiles. Then \u2013 the tension \u2013 an lbw appeal against Tongue. Given out! Hit on a lunging front pad. Tongue reviews, missing leg. Woakes smiles again. Ball to boot next ball, another appeal, not out. And now the rain starts.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.29 EDT<\/p>\n 80th over: England 354-8( Atkinson 5, Tongue 0) England need 20 to win Siraj delivering the ball on a thread. Atkinson beaten by three in a row, a leg bye gets him up the other end \u2013 which is not great news for Overton, who is done by a big pad and a coat of varnish. Enter Josh Tongue, Test average of six. Winviz now makes an Indian victory 76 per cent likely.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! Overton lbw Siraj 9 (England 354-8)<\/p>\n Overton stretches his huge pad forwards and is hit midway up the shin. Umpire Dharmsesena eats a full meal then slowly raises his finger. Overton reviews, but it is umpire\u2019s call!<\/p>\n India’s Mohammed Siraj celebrates taking the wicket of England’s Jamie Overton with teammates. Photograph: Paul Childs\/Action Images\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.33 EDT<\/p>\n 79th over: England 353-7 ( Overton 9, Atkinson 5) England need 24 to win Krishna has re-found his mojo. A desperate dive by Jadeja saves a run on the rope. He limps back to position.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 78th over: England 349-7 ( Overton 8, Atkinson 2) England need 25 to win My heart is in my throat, Atkinson\u2019s first ball is edged to second slip where KL Rahul has it in his finger tips. It is unclear whether it quite carried, but Rahul crouches and looks at the ground, dismayed. Then a leading edge by Atkinson, just wide of cover. A good stop by Jurel to an Overton swipe. It had to be Siraj. The new ball is due in two, but he is making it move like a boomerang.<\/p>\n \u201cSitting in Brittany,\u201d writes Tom Banks. \u201cTMS overseas on. Kids want to go to the beach but I have informed them we are not going anywhere for the next hour. The anticipation is killing all of us (for different reasons obviously).\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! Smith c Jurel b Siraj 2 (England 347-7)<\/p>\n A fat outside edge. The umpires check it \u2013 to calm everything down? And yes \u2013 a clean catch from an advancing prod. Oh my.<\/p>\n India’s Mohammed Siraj (right) appeals \u2026 Photograph: Tom Jenkins\/The GuardianThen, after the umpire\u2019s check, celebrates taking the wicket of England\u2019s Jamie Smith. Photograph: Paul Childs\/Action Images\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.34 EDT<\/p>\n 77th over: England 347-6 (Smith 2, Overton 8) England need 27 to win Krishna to finish off the four balls of last night\u2019s over. Overton pulls the first, a short ball, for four. Bang. The next also greets the boundary \u2013 an awkward inside edge, scything past leg stump. Has a dirty swipe at the next, misses. And plays back carefully at the fourth.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Morning session – England need 35 to win<\/p>\n A full house, a huddle for India, chewing gum for Jamie Smith. Jerusalem the soundtrack.<\/p>\n Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton walk out to bat. Photograph: Paul Childs\/Action Images\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.04 EDT<\/p>\n A welcome flurry of emails land in the OBO box \u2013 hopefully things last long enough to get through them all. Ant sized trousers on an elephant, that\u2019s the kind of tension we\u2019re after.<\/p>\n \u201cGreetings from Ithaca where the weather is balmier than Manchester and the Oval.\u201d Enough already Colum Fordham. Share<\/a><\/p>\n John Starbuck rolls back the years. \u201cSome of us can recall the drama of Colin Cowdrey facing Hall & Griffiths whilst batting with a broken arm in plaster. It didn\u2019t work then and, if a repeat has to happen, I doubt it will work now. Cue monster celebrations if it does.\u201d<\/p>\n From the MCC website. \u201cThe crowd held its breath and the BBC delayed its regular evening news bulletin to stay with the live coverage. Hall began the last over with England needing eight. Two singles were scampered off the first three balls, but off the fourth, calamity. Shackleton swung and missed and looked up to see Allen chasing down the wicket towards him. Desperately, Shackleton urged his 39 year-old frame towards the non-striker\u2019s end; he was in a race of the veterans against Worrell, running back from silly mid-off. He lost. Cowdrey, wearing a glove on one hand and a plaster cast on the other, smiled as he walked out through the Pavilion gate.<\/p>\n \u201cHe took his place at the non-striker\u2019s end as Allen prepared to face Hall. Two balls left to survive for the draw, and surely six to win was too much. Worrell was not so sure – whatever you do, don\u2019t bowl a no-ball, he told his shattered fast bowler. Twice more, Hall charged in off his 40-yard run, hurling the ball down fast and straight. But Allen\u2019s bat was just as straight and twice he kept it out. It was all over and the match drawn. Cowdrey\u2019s bat had not been needed, but his courage had been.\u201d<\/p>\n Colin Cowdrey Photograph: PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n The heavy roller is out, Lee Fortis is on it. The new ball is due in 3.4 overs. Nerves?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Siraj is signing autographs. Intensely.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cBought my son a day five ticket several weeks back,\u201d you clever man David Adam, \u201cand he\u2019s been watching the whole match hoping for wickets to stop and rain to start. As much as yesterday\u2019s crowd were rightly gutted not to see the conclusion, I\u2019m selfishly delighted that my son will get his first taste of Test cricket this morning, even if it\u2019s only half an hour. Surely the series deserves to end with a third ever tied test? Siraj sending an spectactularly unsporting bouncer down at Woakes?\u201d<\/p>\n Absolutely! Overhead cameras show that your son isn\u2019t the only lucky ticket holder, the crowds are pouring in through the Hobbs gate and more. Hope he, and they, gets a thriller.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cGood morning, Tanya.\u201d Hello Richard O\u2019Hagan.<\/p>\n \u201cCan I please say another HUGE thank you to all of the OBOers who so generously supported my club\u2019s 24 Hour Netathon in aid of Opening Up Cricket<\/a>. With the help of this wonderful community we smashed our fundraising target. We are very, very grateful indeed.<\/p>\n In other news, I have just realised that I have a meeting at 11am, so I am off for a sulk.\u201d<\/p>\n Wonderful news about the fundraising, less so about the meeting. Commiserations. Any chance of bad light postponing flow charts?<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Woakes ready to bat if needed for England<\/p>\n \u201cIf I don\u2019t go out today, I won\u2019t be able to forgive myself,\u201d is what Chris Woakes told Joe Root this morning. I think you can rely on him having a bat if needed.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.33 EDT<\/p>\n Joe Root is chatting to Stuart Broad and Ian Ward. He plays tribute to Graham Thorpe, then Harry Brook, his partner in that incredible partnership yesterday.<\/p>\n \u201cBrooky is not a big talker out in the middle but we have played a lot together and complement each other. I can be a bit busy and he can really upset bowlers\u2019 rhythms and before you know it they\u2019ve got a long off, everything seems to happen at a completely different pace [when he\u2019s batting.]\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Pictures from The Oval, where the skies are dirty, but the players are out, practising. Pictures of England arriving, Jamie Smith in a white T-shirt like a teenager off for a kickaround; Jamie Overton brooding largely in maroon, Chris Woakes outrageously handsome in a sling.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n If you\u2019re at The Oval, do let us know what the atmosphere is like. And the clouds.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n And Simon on Mohammed Siraj, India\u2019s rubber band of energy, and his fatal step back.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Some great writing by the team at The Oval yesterday:<\/p>\n Ali\u2019s match report:<\/p>\n Barney\u2019s homage to Harry Brook:<\/p>\n
\u201dThis series has been a bit of an Odyssey, with both teams striving to the limits to bring their team success – Pant, Bumrah, Stokes and Woakes putting their bodies on the line. To quote Homer, \u201cBe strong – saith my heart: I am a soldier. I have seen worse sights than this\u201d. Rather appropriate for Woakes in a sling yet willing to bat for his country.
One more quite from the Odyssey: \u201c The blade itself incites to deeds of violence.\u201d Surely, Homer was writing about Harry Brook?
This morning promises to be a thrilling denouement to a wonderful test series which could end up 2-2, probably the fairer result, or 3-1 to England, which would flatter the home team. Though I wouldn\u2019t mind!\u201d<\/p>\n