Mohammed Siraj’s inspired, large-hearted eight-over spell on the second afternoon helped India claw their way back in the fifth and final Test. His figures of 4 for 86 came after a punishing morning where the visitors were bowled out for 224, with Gus Atkinson picking up a five-for, and then conceding a whirlwind 100 inside 15 overs.

India’s six-wicket burst in the second session allowed them to bowl England out for 247, keeping the first-innings deficit to just 23. They followed it up with a much-improved second-innings effort, led by Yashasvi Jaiswal, who blazed to a 44-ball fifty to help stretch the lead to 52 with eight wickets still in hand.

It was a morning session of mayhem as India lost their last four wickets in just 29 minutes. Josh Tongue struck early by trapping Karun Nair in front, removing the overnight batter before Atkinson wrapped up the innings with three quick wickets to complete his five-wicket haul. Washington Sundar fell to a short-ball trap, while Siraj was bowled and Prasidh Krishna edged behind to deliveries they had no answers to. India could add only 20 runs to their overnight tally, with a fair share of those coming from extras and edges.

England’s reply was brutal. Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley came out blazing, taking the pitch out of the equation and brought up the team fifty in just seven overs, the joint-fastest in a first innings against India. By Lunch, the score had surged to 109 for 1. It was also the third-fastest team hundred against India in Test history, scored at nearly seven an over in conditions still offering bounce and seam.

Despite the help on offer, India’s bowlers looked out of rhythm. Crawley used his reach, Duckett used his feet and angles, and together they went past the 932 runs tallied by Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss, the most by an England opening pair against India.

Duckett’s defining moment came early, when he edged Akash Deep in the fourth over only to see it fall between backward point and gully. Next ball, he reverse-scooped Akash Deep over the slips – the earliest such stroke in a Test innings since Sam Konstas played it against Jasprit Bumrah at the MCG last year. Ironically, it was the same shot that brought about his dismissal, again off Akash Deep, but not before England had already posted 92. Crawley kept going though, reaching a 42-ball half-century, his 19th in Tests and third of the series, before his dismissal post Lunch allowed India a way back into the match.

India made subtle but crucial adjustments after the break; they pitched the ball half a metre fuller, bowled straighter and finally got the conditions to work for them. Prasidh Krishna made amends to his fledgling tour and delivered the breakthrough for India in the second session, getting a well-set Zak Crawley to miscue a pull off a ball that climbed on him and took the top edge.

Siraj replaced Akash Deep and made an immediate impact, striking with his fourth ball. Ollie Pope was trapped in front by an in-ducker that came in sharply. Joe Root, who looked uneasy and had already exchanged words with Prasidh, also fell lbw, unable to bring his bat down in time to a length ball that jagged in. Siraj then produced a stunning inswinging yorker from over the wicket to trap Jacob Bethell plumb on the boot. His marathon spell read: 8 overs, 3 wickets, 35 runs and a false shot percentage of 31.2.

Prasidh followed up well with a couple of wickets in the same over, first having Jamie Smith caught at second slip and then trapping Jamie Overton in front. Post Tea, Harry Brook played a few shots, including a falling scoop-sweep en route to his 13th Test fifty but fell soon after to who else but Siraj as England went on to be bowled out for 247 in 51.2 overs, eking out a lead of 23 runs. Prasidh finished with 4 for 62.

Jaiswal’s intent was clear from the outset in India’s second innings, helping the visitors move into the lead in just 4.5 overs. Josh Tongue was impressive with his discipline, but Jaiswal took full toll of the width offered by Atkinson. He even launched a couple of sixes off Overton, slashing and ramping short balls to his advantage.

KL Rahul, for once loose outside off, edged an outswinger from Tongue to slip. But England were sloppy in the field in the final 45 minutes, dropping as many as three chances, including Jaiswal twice. Harry Brook put him down in the cordon, while Liam Dawson spilled one at deep backward square leg. England finally had some success when Atkinson trapped Sai Sudharsan lbw, but by then, the momentum had swung. For a side that had dominated the morning, England ended the day quite stunningly behind in the game.

Brief Scores: [Day 2 stumps]
India 224 & 75/2 (Jaiswal 51*) lead  England 247 (Crawley 64, Brook 53; Prasidh 4-62, Siraj 4-86) by 52 runs.