Oval: In what turned out to be a turning point in England’s chase against India at The Oval, Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj missed a golden opportunity to dismiss Harry Brook a lapse that may haunt the visitors for the rest of the match.
The dramatic moment unfolded during the 35th over, delivered by Prasidh Krishna. Brook, then batting on 19, launched the very first ball high towards deep square leg. Siraj, stationed at the boundary, timed his jump perfectly and managed to grab the ball mid-air. But in a twist of fate, his foot while descending from the leap brushed the boundary rope. It was a hairline error, but enough to turn what could’ve been a match-defining catch into a six.
Realizing the misstep too late, Siraj’s expression said it all a mixture of disbelief and regret. The ball was already beyond the line, and with it, India’s golden chance of sending back the dangerous Brook.
Brook didn’t let the reprieve go to waste. He capitalized ruthlessly, smashing two boundaries later in the same over and accelerating with elegance. From a tentative 19, he stormed towards a majestic century, standing firm with 81 runs from just 71 balls at the time of reporting. His innings includes two towering sixes and ten crisply timed boundaries.
Joe Root offered equally solid support at the other end, anchoring with 52 runs. With seven wickets in hand and only 135 runs needed to win, England seems well-positioned to push for a memorable chase all thanks to a small slip that made a massive difference.
The clip of Siraj’s boundary catch-turned-six is already doing rounds on social media, with fans and experts split between sympathy and scrutiny. Regardless, it stands as a stark reminder of how a single misstep in cricket quite literally an shift the momentum of an entire match.