England suffered a heartbreaking six-run defeat at the hands of India in the Oval Test.
England suffered a heartbreaking six-run defeat at the hands of India in the fifth and final Test match at The Oval. As a result, one of the most fiercely contested series in recent memory ended in a 2-2 draw.
Chasing 374 to win, the Three Lions were at 339/6 when bad light and rain brought an early end to the fourth day’s play. The visitors swiftly took the remaining four wickets in the morning session on Day 5, ending England’s second innings at 367 in 85.1 overs.
While Mohammed Siraj returned with the figures of 5/104 in his 30.1 overs, Prasidh Krishna bagged four wickets (4-126 in 27 overs) and Akash Deep claimed one scalp.
Speaking after the match, former skipper Michael Vaughan critiqued England's aggressive tactics at The Oval, suggesting panic contributed to their collapse against India.
"You have to say that England did panic. The ball was swinging around and they went for this high-risk attacking option. They just needed one partnership," Vaughan said while speaking on BBC Test Match Special.
England were in a dominant position on Day 4 when Harry Brook (111) and Joe Root (105) combined for a 195-run fourth-wicket stand that propelled the hosts past 300. At 301/3, the hosts were favorites but Indian bowlers staged a great fightback, claiming three late wickets to give the tourists hope.
Despite acknowledging the entertainment value of their approach, Vaughan called Brook's dismissal as a turning point.
“They panicked in a way that they can with the way that they play. It’s not panic — it's just the way that they play. They play with a huge amount of aggression. As much as I like to see him play that way, it did cause that collapse,” he added.
However, Vaughan admitted that England's attacking style remains central to their Test philosophy.
“As Baz (Brendon) McCullum said, the series will have been watched all around the world by a huge amount of people. And there's a bigger picture — not always about the winning side of the series, but making sure that lots of people are watching. It's exactly what’s happened.”