Watch: Mohammed Siraj drops Harry Brook in a costly blunder

The visitors closed Day 3 of the final Test on a high, as Mohammed Siraj dismissed Zak Crawley with a splendid bluff. However, things have not unfolded as seamlessly as India would have anticipated on Day 4 of the Oval Test. The day began with India needing eight wickets for the win and England chasing 324. While the equation initially tilted significantly in favour of the visitors, England has made the final leg of the fifth India vs England Test tricky. Day 4 at the Oval opened with momentum swinging in both directions. England added 114 crucial runs to their chase, but India managed to strike twice in the morning, including the prized wicket of Ben Duckett, who had looked solid with a half-century.

With the match finely balanced, India had an opportunity to seize control just before lunch, but a critical misjudgment in the field by Mohammed Siraj let it slip. The moment unfolded on the very first ball of the 35th over in the final innings of the fifth and final India vs England Test. Prasidh Krishna delivered a short ball that Harry Brook tried to pull, only to top-edge it towards long leg. Convinced it was a straightforward catch, Krishna began to celebrate prematurely. However, Mohammed Siraj, tracking the ball closely, failed to register his proximity to the boundary rope.

He managed to grab the catch, but his back foot had brushed the rope, instantly transforming what could have been a breakthrough into six costly runs. Siraj immediately realized the error, burying his face in his hands as the disappointment sank in. Krishna stood frozen, his celebration halted mid-air. In the Indian dugout, head coach Gautam Gambhir watched on, visibly stunned.

Out? Six!?

What's Siraj done 😱 pic.twitter.com/hp6io4X27l
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 3, 2025

That reprieve for Brook proved significant. He quickly turned the tables on India by dispatching Prasidh Krishna for back-to-back boundaries later in the same over. As the first session came to a close, Siraj approached Krishna during the walk back and offered an apology. The two embraced, putting the mistake behind them in a show of camaraderie.