Former England spinner Monty Panesar believes England were lucky to dismiss Mohammed Siraj during the tense final moments of the Lord’s Test in the recently concluded five-match Test series against India. Siraj’s wicket, which brought India’s lower-order resistance to an end, handed England a narrow 22-run win in what turned out to be one of the most gripping finishes of the series.
Panesar, speaking to Hindustan Times, applauded the Indian team’s resilience, especially after coming off the high-intensity IPL 2025 season.
“After a heavy workload in the IPL, India still played an exhausting Test series and showed up in every moment. At Old Trafford, they battled for a hard-earned draw. At Lord’s, it could have gone either way. Honestly, they should have won that game — England were extremely fortunate to get Siraj’s wicket,” he remarked.
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Highlighting India’s dominant performance at The Oval, Monty Panesar noted that the visitors capitalised on overcast Day 5 conditions with a brilliant all-round effort.
“That was the turning point,” he said. “India outplayed England, and The Oval win showed their real strength. For me, that was the moment they effectively won the series.”
Panesar also touched upon the unexpected retirement of three Indian legends — Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and R Ashwin — which led many to believe that England would have the upper hand. “People thought the series was England’s for the taking. But India’s young guns proved otherwise,” he added.
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India retained the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy by levelling the series 2-2. Siraj finished as the top wicket-taker with 23 scalps in nine innings, while Shubman Gill dominated the charts with 754 runs in 10 innings. England secured victories in the first and third Tests, while India bounced back in the second and fifth, showcasing the depth and determination of this new-look side.
