India, Aug. 4 -- It almost felt karmic when Mohammed Siraj brought the curtains down on the final Test at The Oval after an enthralling hour's play on Day 5 with his knockout punch - a yorker fired in with a scrambled seam grip to uproot Gus Atkinson's off-stump. As the fast bowler flaunted his imitation of Cristiano Ronaldo's signature celebratory move, the Indian section among the capacity crowd erupted in delirium.

Cricket Gods are not that cruel after all. If that was the case, Siraj's fielding lapse on Sunday that gave Harry Brook a reprieve on 19 and the rising England star smashed 111 would have remained the lasting image of the Test among the emotional Indian fans.

To those who don't stop trying, life gives another chance. If it...