India snatch famous Test victory despite courageous one-armed effort from England’s Woakes

India have snatched an incredible Test victory over England, after England’s No.11 Chris Woakes bravely walked out to bat with his dislocated shoulder immobilised in a sling.

In a thrilling finish on Monday evening (AEST), Indian quick Mohammed Siraj bowled his country to victory, sealing a famous result by six runs – India’s narrowest ever Test win – and levelling an epic series 2-2 at the Oval.

Woakes walked out to bat with England needing 17 runs to win, his left arm tucked inside his vest. There were shades of West Indies great Malcolm Marshall, who once batted with his arm in plaster.

Woakes, who grimaced every time he ran, had dislocated his shoulder in the field on the opening day of the Test and was prepared to bat with one arm.

However, his batting partner, Gus Atkinson, was determined to protect him from the strike by swinging hard in an effort to smash the remaining runs, and Woakes did not have to face a ball.

“There was never a question in Woakesy’s mind what he was going to do. He spent a lot of yesterday trying to work out which way [he was going to face up],” said England captain Ben Stokes. “I think it shows what it means to play for your country.”

Atkinson was toppled by a Siraj yorker for 17, and England were all out for 367.

Siraj’s heroics (5-104 in the second innings and nine wickets for the match) completed an amazing series, and in England’s case a fascinating preview for this summer’s Ashes series in Australia. They lost their last seven wickets for 66 runs.

The series featured high-class batting – both Harry Brook and Joe Root struck centuries for England in the second innings at the Oval, and India captain Shubman Gill scored four centuries in his first series as captain. There was also sledging and spite, as England’s Bazballers signalled they were prepared to be abrasive as well as daring.

“You expect passion. You expect confrontation,” said England coach Brendon McCullum.

The stands were full at the Oval on the fifth morning of the fifth Test for what amounted to an hour of cricket after England resumed needing 35 to win with four wickets in hand.

Vitally for India, the overcast skies meant that the Dukes ball was still hooping around as it had been on the fourth evening, and now their bowlers were fresh for the final push.

Jamie Overton cracked a first ball boundary through square leg, but Jamie Smith was unable to make anything of the swinging ball in Siraj’s hands.

He was soon edging behind, even if umpire Kumar Dharmasena somehow needed the assistance of the third umpire to confirm the catch.

A straighter delivery accounted for Overton, dismissed lbw after Dharmasena took an eternity to raise his finger. Ball-tracking showed the outside of leg stump being clipped. Overton walked off shaking his head.

Umpire Ahsan Raza gave a still more outlandish decision against Josh Tongue, overturned on review, before Prasidh Krishna found something too full, straight and fast for the usual number 11.

That brought Woakes to the middle. It was merciful in a way that he did not have to face a delivery, but his mere appearance ranked with Colin Cowdrey going out to help England draw against the West Indies with a broken arm, or Nathan Lyon hobbling out to bat with a blown calf in the 2023 Ashes.

Atkinson has plenty of ability with the bat, and one powerful blow was knocked over the rope for six by a diving Aakash Deep.

With Woakes at the other end, he got England to within one more six of a tied game and a series win.

Siraj, however, had the final say of series marked by plenty of cross words. As he had done to get Zak Crawley at the start of the innings, Siraj summoned a perfect yorker to defeat Atkinson as he swung for the mid-wicket boundary.

Off stump was flattened, and India erupted. England had ultimately left too much for their tail to do in swinging conditions. Injured captain Stokes will ponder plenty of missed opportunities to win the trophy: Bazball is still without a flagship achievement in Test cricket. For a young India, led spikily by Gill, a 2-2 result was against many expectations, and may come to be considered something like an identical scoreline for Ian Chappell’s emerging Australians in England in 1972.

The series as a whole was a lively bit of advocacy for Test cricket, albeit the high-octane type of the form now played between the Big Three. Woakes’ courage was something to behold.

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