56 minutes of Test cricket

The crowd is still - as if every single person here knows they’ve just seen the best hour (56 minutes) of cricket they’ll ever see.

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Mohammed Siraj is running across the field away from his fielding position, and nowhere near the stairs needed to leave the surface for tea on day four. He moves around 50 metres out of his way to get to Prasidh Krishna. He doesn’t have much energy left, and yet he spends it on this.

The reason is simple: he wants to say sorry to his bowling partner for not completing the catch of Harry Brook. When the English number five top‑edged the ball, it hung in the South London gloom forever. Siraj was reading it perfectly, and he completed the catch. But then he took a step for balance, and it was on the boundary.

Siraj wanted Prasidh to know the mistake was on him. So, as their teammates were already near the boundary edge, Siraj embraced Prasidh with a hug of apology.

***

35 runs and four wickets to win.

Prasidh Krishna delivers a short ball. It just has nothing on it. It’s tame, timid; maybe it was a loosener. But Jamie Overton doesn’t care, he smashes it. Maybe that was always the plan. Maybe he just got a decent ball in his spot. Is Overton playing big shots because Smith is at the other end, or just because it’s England? He picks up a boundary and you can feel everyone in the ground lose some of their tension. Maybe we aren’t going to get a magic finish, perhaps it’s just going to be the heavy roller and England who win. The fairytale of Chris Woakes swinging with one arm and being bowled with the scores tied might never happen.

The follow up is just as bad for India. This time Prasidh delivers a good one outside off stump. Overton goes to drive, but it takes the inside edge and flies back. There are two outcomes to this ball - bowled or four. The mistake misses the base of leg stump, but finds the fine leg boundary.

In the space of two balls, India have allowed England to make eight of the 35 runs they needed.

The next ball beats the bat. It’s wide and fades away a little, but really it’s still a stiff‑looking delivery, and Overton swipes at it and misses. The ball has so little energy it doesn’t quite make it to the keeper. But it’s another batting error, and it’s followed by more as Overton tries to drive and hits the ball onto his own foot.

27 runs and four wickets to win.

Now it's Siraj to Smith. The first delivery is very wide, but swings even further away. Smith is stuck on the crease and wafts at it - the kind of shot you see in a bowler’s highlight package of wickets caught at slip. But Smith misses it, and also the following ball, which is better. In between them, Gus Atkinson is shown looking nervous in the gallery.

A moment later, he’s walking out because Smith has nicked Siraj behind. Yesterday, it felt like the Indian seamer would have to give everything he had for just one wicket. Today it’s three outswingers and he’s done. Such is the tension of it all, a simple catch by Dhruv Jurel has to be looked at, as it seems like neither umpire was watching. But it’s a big edge, and a simple catch, and England are out of frontline batters.

27 runs and three wickets to win.

Now Atkinson is facing his first ball, and he’s playing a half‑shot with an open face that looks like slips practice, and that is exactly where the ball heads. KL Rahul drops down to scoop it up. But it’s either just short or just carried. Neither matters, as Rahul doesn’t pouch it. He drops his head and wrings his fingers for minutes, even as Atkinson mangles his next delivery to mid‑off.

The final ball of the over, the fast bowler tries to flick it to the legside. But it travels to off from a leading edge. Jaiswal loses the ball, and maybe he wouldn’t have caught it, but Siraj thinks that everything should be taken and so he’s screaming as England take two runs. Umpire Kumar Dharmasena comes down to settle the Indian bowler, even though he’s likely yelling at his own team.

Siraj’s over is done. Communally, we’ve already lived four lives just watching it.

25 runs and three wickets to win.

Overton defends the next delivery from Prasidh Krishna. Unlike the first over where he looked like he was going to attack, he’s doubting himself now - prodding in an uncertain manner. Overton follows that with an attempted pull, getting an under‑edge. Neither thin enough to make the keeper, nor harsh enough to come down onto the stumps. Prasidh can’t believe he’s survived in either direction.

Another outswinger, which Overton flashes at, only to miss. He pulled again - this time, safely for one.

The English crowd applauds the single, and then the 350 being brought up. The second one gets a louder cheer - only in cricket could the landmark be applauded amidst the chaos. Atkinson misses the next delivery with a lazy drive that you’d never even think twice about if it happened on any other day. But it brings deep intakes of air from everyone.

Prasidh goes back to his into‑the‑wicket length outside off stump, and the ball crashes into the middle of Atkinson’s blade towards the point boundary. There is a man in the chop‑out‑man position; it’s Ravindra Jadeja. He sprints around and throws everything he has at the ball. Yesterday, he seemed unable to move this fast, but this is day five desperation now. That is four runs 99% of the time, but Jadeja saves one. Runs have different currencies now, and this one feels like it is worth billions.

Jadeja gets up sore, clutching at his leg. He won’t be bowling today, but will be needed in the field. The third run means Atkinson keeps the strike. Is that good or bad? No one can tell.

21 runs and three wickets to win.

Siraj hoops one past Atkinson’s outside edge with a full delivery. He demands the ball back straight away, but others offer to polish it for swing. Yesterday, he spent most of his time attacking the stumps with his three‑quarter‑seam wobbleball, meaning the odd one slipped down leg. Now he’s decided for swing wide of off stump. Making England come to him, Atkinson sees this and leaves the following one. But late, and not in a pretty way.

The cameras find Chris Woakes in England’s changeroom, like a ghostly figure in the back. He has a guard on his right arm, suggesting he will bat left‑handed, or at least be standing on that side of the bat. But his actual left arm is tucked under his sweater in a sling.

Atkinson launches a big drive only for the ball to end up in Jurel’s gloves again. Siraj changes up lines to look for an LBW, but gets it too straight and a leg bye is taken.

He tries it again next ball, full and straight. Overton is a massive man, and he takes a huge step across the stumps. The ball beats the inside edge, but Kumar Dharmasena can’t see any stumps behind the goliath allrounder - he has no Overton window to look through - but he gives it out. England review immediately, and you can tell from one replay it is very legside. So much so that Overton decides to retake his guard. But it’s clipping, and he’s gone.

Josh Tongue is batting. ESPNcricinfo almost crashes under the incredible load of millions of people searching for the Worcestershire seamer’s first‑class batting average (13.98, if you don’t mind, with his first ever 50 coming this year). He middles Siraj’s first ball in a way that Smith and Overton found almost impossible at times. The ball bounces up in front of his eyes as the tailender looks at it suspiciously, as if aware of some potential Lord’s roll.

20 runs and two wickets to win.

The new ball is due, but India don’t even hint at wanting it. You get the feeling that for both these men, the ball they have will have to be pried from them regardless.

Prasidh bowls another on a hard length, and Atkinson misses his pull. But something more dramatic happens - England don’t take the run. They don’t need many; knocking back the ones they’ve earned seems a bold move. Next ball, Atkinson slashes the ball over the slips to third, and this time he takes the single. It was almost four as third didn’t pick it up. So are they taking the runs or not? No one really knows.

Tongue misses from back of a length. The next delivery smashes into his knee roll; the ball heads off on the offside, usually meaning it's straight. Ahsan Raza gives it. But on first review it’s very legside, and it is not just missing the leg stump, it’s miles away. Next one is a straight yorker that Tongue misses again. India don’t get the call, and they think about the review, but it’s down leg again. The tall quick leaves his following one, just to diffuse the tension.

19 runs and two wickets to win.

Atkinson takes a single on the first ball as Siraj delivers very wide. So it appears like England are going to let Tongue face now. Siraj bends outswingers past the edge twice in a row; the tailender does his best to hit both of them.

Prasidh Krishna is on the field, but over the boundary. Two backroom staff contort his body into a shape that will allow him to bowl more deliveries. He looks like that episode of The Simpsons where they rebuild Mr Burns. This Slenderman fast bowler has to bowl more - his rhythm is too good to chance Akash. These two are going to have to bowl until it’s over.

Siraj starts bringing the ball back in, and Tongue hits the first one off the middle of the bat, into the ground, and slip takes it. He then defends the following attempt cautiously. Siraj moves the following delivery away and Tongue is beaten again.

18 runs and two wickets to win.

Prasidh pitches one up to Atkinson that’s driven, but now they don’t take the run that is on offer. They’re all over the shop. Scyld Berry has watched 500 Tests, and he can’t remember a time England batters have ever looked this nervous - from late on yesterday to now - as a unit before. They’re muddled.

Atkinson hits the ball out to long‑on. Siraj is going to let it come to him, because why move when you don’t have to. But he remembers the rain has just started, and he doesn’t want his precious ball ruined, so he runs over to pick it up and then dries it off. Another hit into the deep follows for no singles.

Prasidh goes short to Atkinson, who plays a huge pull shot that sounds like his bat is made of leaves. Atkinson runs out of nowhere, even though he doesn’t seem to know where the ball has gone. Tongue doesn’t, because he sees it heading to Siraj. When he does move, he’s not even halfway down when the tired Indian quick picks up the ball and flings it at Tongue’s end. But it’s wild, slipping from his fingers. Finally, for once this morning, his accuracy lets him down. Jurel slides to try and save it - he’s a full pitch wider than where he started - but he can’t get it, so Atkinson sees the overthrow and heads off for a second. But Tongue is metres past the crease. It’s a great moment of under‑13s cricket in the middle.

The pressure is strangling everyone.

Tongue is beaten trying to defend the next delivery with a big forward press. He has one ball left to face in the over. Prasidh moves the fielders around and gestures for them to be ready for the hook. Did this put off Tongue? Only he can tell us. But he loses the attempted yorker - which is actually more like a half‑volley - and he also loses his off stump.

17 runs and one wicket to win.

The ghost is real, and now Chris Woakes is moving purposefully through the changeroom, and down the stairs. That is when you feel the dislocation, on the stairs. But he powers on through as the crowd rises for him. As Woakes always has, he just gets on with his job.

India rearrange their field; Atkinson will probably go for boundaries. Because of the away swing, Gill moves his better fielders to the offside, meaning that Akash moves to long‑on, swapping with Jadeja who heads to long‑off.

Atkinson prepares to slog Siraj away, but the ball isn’t where he wants it and he pushes it to point instead. Then an outswinger full on a fifth‑stump line arrives, and this time Atkinson drops to his knee and sweeps it down towards long‑on. It’s a decent connection, but the fielder can come around. But he’s in from the rope, so he has to jump up and back to take it. The ball hits his hands and carries the rope. But it wouldn’t have mattered, as Akash himself lands on it.

Gill must be thinking that if Jadeja had been there, it might have been different.

A mistimed pull shot follows and it loops up to midwicket, but no one’s there - though Siraj still tries. An inside edge down to fine leg follows, but England aren’t looking for runs. India take a punt here and decide that protecting the boundaries is more important than getting Woakes on strike.

Siraj has gone for 746 runs this summer; only 16 seamers in a Test series of less than six matches have ever gone for more. Yet, he keeps digging, and his next ball - which is his 1,111th - is a 90+ mph full toss. Atkinson tries to smash it away and misses, and somehow it doesn’t cannon into the stumps either. Siraj falls to the ground on his haunches. There is no one around to even come and pick him up. He just has to do it himself again, which he does reluctantly. Somehow, he has enough energy left to deliver a wide yorker; Atkinson misses, Woakes runs, Jurel collects, and all he needs is a straight roll. But again, he misses. It’s like someone keeps moving the stumps on India.

10 runs and one wicket to win.

Prasidh bowls another full toss, but it’s a high one, and it’s hoicked out towards cow corner. It looks off the bat as if it’s a boundary and English fans rise. But Sai Sudharsan comes from nowhere to get it, stealing two runs back for India.

There is a delay here as Woakes’ sling seems to have come loose. He, Atkinson, and umpire Ahsan Raza all play their part in Woakes being back to being right. Well, not right, but okay. This could be the last thing Woakes ever does on a cricket field. His injury is serious - there are reports of issues beyond a normal dislocation - and he will be out for a long time either way. Watching him run is painful, so you can only imagine what he’s going through. There’s also a chance of him tripping and falling at any moment.

Back on strike, Atkinson slogs at two balls. The way he’s swinging, the options are a top edge straight up, or a top edge over Jurel’s head for six. Death or glory.

Jurel is also now running towards the stumps after each ball. When Atkinson misses another swipe, he ensures there’s no single. There are fielders everywhere. Gill is trying to make them finer for edges; Prasidh wants them straight to fill gaps. They’re both right. Prasidh drops the ball at the top of his mark. He looks nervous. He’s so close to being a national hero or a lifetime cricket joke.

Last ball of his over: Atkinson expects the wide yorker again and moves across to stop it, so Prasidh goes straighter with it. This allows for a block wide of the bowler and another stolen run.

7 runs and one wicket to win.

England are now a hit from a tie. Woakes is talking to himself. He joins Atkinson for another debrief. Gill and Siraj get the field right. Everyone is talking, the crowd is humming.

Siraj storms in, Atkinson sees a full one and gets down to slog sweep another one away. It’s another full toss; the ball doesn’t hit the pitch, or the bat - just the stumps. Siraj celebrates, Woakes never even faced a ball.

The Indian fans and team are ecstatic, but then a weird murmur follows. The crowd is all on their feet, but all fans - nationality doesn’t seem to matter here - just pause. They’re still. As if every single person here knows they’ve just seen the best hour (56 minutes) of cricket they’ll ever see.

***

Mohammed Siraj isn’t in the victory lap he inspired. He’s off doing press. When he spots his team out near the Gasometer, he runs. A few overs ago, he was trying to get into position and you could see the stiffness in his body. He couldn’t move right. There was really nothing left physically - it was all heart by the end. But now he’s won, and he runs across the outfield quicker than he should, just to get back to his team. In his hand is the ball, they never did pry it from his hand, and there it shall remain forever.

When he arrives with his team, he jumps on Prasidh Krishna.

This time, it’s a hug of joy.