England and India played a tense finish in the fourth Test of the series, and it came down to the final wicket. England needed 17 runs to win. India needed just one wicket. Enter Chris Woakes, who walked in with a dislocated left shoulder, his arm tucked into his sweater. He couldn’t swing, couldn’t run much, and couldn’t face a delivery without risking collapse. So his partner, Gus Atkinson, had to do all the scoring and protect Woakes from facing.
Atkinson hit a massive six after India nearly sealed the match with a dropped catch. From there, England chipped away. They had to avoid singles unless they could swap ends to keep Atkinson on strike. India had several chances. Siraj beat Atkinson with a delivery that barely missed the stumps. Later, a run-out opportunity slipped through when India’s keeper missed a clear shot at the wickets. Twice England executed desperate runs on the final ball of overs to save Woakes from facing Siraj. But in the end, it wasn’t enough.
Siraj finally sent a full straight ball past Atkinson’s defense and hit the stumps. Game over. India drew the series 2-2. The crowd erupted, some applauding the bravery of Woakes and the gritty stand. India had let several chances slip but made it count on the last one. A brutal, dramatic finish to a hard-fought series.