Match overview
India beat England by 6 runs at The Oval on 31 July 2025, completing a tense Test victory in which Mohammed Siraj took 9/190 to deny England a remarkable chase. England needed 374 in the fourth innings and reached 367 all out, falling just short of what would have been a memorable win. Siraj was the difference, applying relentless pressure across 46.5 overs to earn the Player of the Match award.
The match turned on India's recovery in the third innings. Dismissed for 224 first up, they came back to post 396 all out, handing England a target that looked steep but never impossible. For long stretches of the chase it appeared the hosts might pull it off, which made the final margin all the more striking.
This was the latest chapter in a rivalry that now spans 143 Test matches. India lead the all-time series 78 wins to 52, and this result extended that advantage after England had won at Lord's and Headingley earlier in 2025.
Venue and conditions
The Oval has hosted 199 Test matches, making it one of the most data-rich venues in the world. The average first-innings score here is 204, which means India's 224 in the first innings was slightly above par rather than a poor effort. England's second-innings 247/9 was similarly modest by the ground's historical standards.
The fourth-innings target of 374 was always going to test any batting side at The Oval, where the average second-innings score is 186. The pitch tends to deteriorate across a five-day match, offering more assistance to bowlers by the final day. A chase success rate of 55% across the ground's recorded matches suggests The Oval does not consistently favour either outcome, which is part of what made Siraj's contribution so valuable.
England won the toss and chose to field, a decision supported by the historical data: teams elect to field 67% of the time when winning the toss at this ground. Conditions in late July can offer early movement for seamers, which likely influenced Ben Stokes's thinking.
How to watch
The India versus England Test series is broadcast in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket, with live and on-demand streaming through Sky Go and the NOW TV day pass. BBC Test Match Special provides full radio commentary for each session of play and is available on BBC Sounds as well as Radio 4 Long Wave for those following from work or on the road.
For those in the UK watching from abroad, the BBC's online coverage has geographical restrictions, but Sky Sports remains the primary option for live pictures throughout the series.
Recent form
India arrived at The Oval with a mixed recent record, having won two and lost two of their previous four completed matches against England in 2025, with one no result at Old Trafford also in the log. Their 336-run win at Edgbaston earlier in the summer demonstrated they could produce dominant performances as well as scrappy ones.
England's form told a similar story of inconsistency. They won at Headingley and Lord's but lost heavily at Edgbaston. A victory over West Indies earlier in 2025 provided some continuity at the top of the batting order. On the basis of the series as a whole, India edged it at The Oval to take the series lead, with both sides having proved capable of winning anywhere across the summer.
