Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting criticized Mohammed Siraj for dropping Harry Brook’s catch during the final hour of the morning session on Day 4 of the fifth Test between India and England at The Oval on Sunday. The dropped catch, which turned into a six when Siraj stepped on the boundary rope, allowed Brook to remain unbeaten at the end of the opening session.Brook and Joe Root mounted a strong counterattack against India’s bowling attack, threatening their chances of leveling the series. The crucial moment came when Brook top-edged a pull shot off Prasidh Krishna’s bowling in the 35th over.
Siraj completed the catch but accidentally stepped back onto the boundary rope, converting what would have been a wicket into six runs. The Indian bowler was visibly distressed, burying his face in his hands after realizing his mistake.“What was he thinking? He wasn’t thinking at all. He didn’t have to move to take the catch, so how costly might that be? Brook is still in and reads the bowlers so well. He bats in a Test match, how you would try and read a bowler in a T20,” Ponting said on Sky Sports.Former India head coach Ravi Shastri praised the competitive nature of the session, describing it as Test cricket at its finest. “That session was Test cricket at its best. It was a watchful first hour – good bowling and plenty of chat out there, fielders getting in the face of the batters,” Shastri commented.
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While Prasidh and Siraj had initially put England under pressure by reducing them to 106/3 while defending a 373-run target, Brook’s aggressive batting helped restore balance to the innings.“India picked up a couple of wickets – but then came the counterattack. In a seesaw battle, England took the momentum. Harry Brook did a Rishabh Pant. I liked his anticipation. It was clear that he wanted to score runs and be disruptive,” Shastri added.The game saw momentum shifts between both teams as they fought for control, with Brook’s batting style drawing comparisons to India’s vice-captain Rishabh Pant from Shastri.
