NEW DELHI: India on Monday lauded its cricketers for snatching victory in the fifth Test against England to end the series level at 2-2 after 25 days of gripping action.

“Absolute goosebumps,” Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar wrote on social media. “Series 2-2, Performance 10/10! Supermen from India! What a Win.”

Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj claimed five wickets, including a fiery burst of 3-9 on the final day of a thrilling Test as England fell seven runs short of their victory target of 374 at the Oval.

Siraj bowled Gus Atkinson for 17 to bowl out England and trigger Indian celebrations.

“One of the greatest moments in Indian cricket history,” veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle wrote on X, adding that with it “Siraj enters Indian cricket folklore”.

Player-of-the-match Siraj had his arms outstretched when he rattled Atkinson’s off stump with a yorker that made Indian fans erupt with joy. “Heart-stopping,” the Times of India newspaper said. “Fairytale end,” broadcaster NDTV said, calling the match a “historic thriller”.

India, led by 25-year-old captain Shubman Gill — a team in transition after the retirement of veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli — fought hard as every Test went into day five.

In a closely-fought five-match series, India trailed 2-1 coming into the final match.

Siraj kept running in on mostly batting-friendly English pitches, and returned as the leading bowler with 23 wickets.

Kohli called it a “phenomenal victory”, praising the “resilience and determination” from Siraj and Prasidh Krishna.

“Special mention to Siraj who will put everything on the line for the team,” he said. “Extremely happy for him.”

Gill’s first series as India captain was a personal triumph as he scored a mammoth 754 runs, including four centuries.

“There are moments like this when you feel the journey is worth it,” Gill said at the post-match press conference. “There have been a lot of highs and lows. That’s kind of expected, especially with sport.

“Obviously, every time you go in to bat you want to score a century but that’s not how the game of life works. You should be able to navigate through the high and lows of life. I wanted to stay balanced. I’m still learning but so far so good.” Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2025