The Weekly Wicket: From Oval Glory to Brendan Taylor’s Comeback — Cricket’s Biggest Moments (PICS)

The first week of August 2025 brought thrilling cricket action — from tense finishes and emotional returns to record-breaking feats — keeping fans hooked and proving once again why the sport never runs out of drama.

Image Credit : Getty

A week to remember for cricket fans

It’s been just over a week since August began, and cricket fans have already witnessed a flurry of unforgettable moments, from nail-biting finishes at the Oval and one of the most emotional comebacks to international cricket.

Let’s take a look at the biggest cricket moments from this week of August.

Image Credit : Getty

India's Oval Victory

The Day, 4th August 2025, will go down as one of India’s memorable moments in Test history as they pulled off a thrilling six-run victory against England in the fifth and final Test at the Oval in London to draw the five-match Test series 2-2. Heading into the final day, the Oval Decider was hanging in the balance as England needed just 35 runs to chase down the 374-run target, and India, on the other hand, required 4 wickets to win the series finale.

Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna shared four wickets, with the former taking three of those and completed second fifer of the series, to bundle out the hosts for 367 to deny England a series win. For the second consecutive time,

Team India managed to draw the Test series in England after the 2021/22 tour. Since 2018, India has remained unbeaten in Test series against England, with two wins and two draws.

Image Credit : Getty

Chris Woakes’ Bravery on Final Day of Oval Decider

England bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes displayed his bravery when he decided to walk out to bat with an injured shoulder when the hosts were 357/9 and needed 17 more runs to win. Woakes had fractured his shoulder while fielding in the first innings of England’s bowling and left the field by using his sweater as his makeshift sling for his injured shoulder.

In the second innings, Woakes did not bowl, but he did walk out to bat to give support to Gus Atkinson, who was the only one for England to chase down the target and clinch the series 3-1. He was in severe pain but kept running between the wickets on the last ball of every over. However, his role as a second fiddle went in vain as Mohammed Siraj bowled out Atkinson; heartbreakingly, he fell 7 runs short of the target.

However, Chris Woakes' brave decision to walk out to bat with an injured shoulder drew massive applause not only from English spectators but also from Indian fans who watched the Test at the Oval.

Image Credit : X

Brendan Taylor Comeback

Former Zimbabwe captain and batting legend Brendan Taylor made an emotional comeback to international cricket after serving a three-and-a-half-year ban. Taylor was suspended from playing any competitive cricket by the International Cricket Council in January 2022 after he admitted to four charges against him under the anti-corruption code, stemming from a 2019 incident, where he accepted $15,000 from an Indian businessman to fix the matches.

After serving a long suspension from cricket, Taylor made his return to international cricket in the recently concluded second Test against New Zealand in Bulawayo. However, the 39-year-old did not have an ideal comeback as he scored 44 and 7 in both innings. His return to international cricket was not easy, as he had a tough time putting himself back on track.

Zimbabwe Cricket's Managing Director, Givemore Makoni, played a big role in making Brendan Taylor's comeback and play for the national team, keeping in mind the 2027 ODI World Cup, which Zimbabwe will co-host alongside South Africa and Namibia.

Image Credit : Getty

James Anderson's The Hundred Debut

England’s legendary pacer, James Anderson, might have retired from international cricket after playing his final at Lord’s, but he is not willing to stay away from the sport even at the age of 43. Anderson had played all three formats and the Vitality T20 Blast; the pace bowling legend added The Hundred to his impressive portfolio, making his debut in the ongoing season of the tournament.

Representing Manchester Originals, Anderson made his Hundred debut against Southern Brave, but did not have an ideal outing as he could not pick a wicket and conceded 36 runs in 20 balls at a RPB of 1.80. In the second match against Oval Invincibles, Anderson yet again did not take any wickets and gave away 25 in his 10-ball spell. The right-arm pacer is getting accustomed to the new format of the sport.

In the Vitality T20 Blast 2025, Anderson was at his best as he picked 17 wickets at an average of 14.70 and an economy rate of 7.57 in 9 matches for his County team, Lancashire.

Image Credit : X

New Zealand Scripts Historic Victory against Zimbabwe

New Zealand concluded their Zimbabwe Test tour with a two-match series whitewash following their victory in the second at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Saturday, August 9. The Kiwis took just three days to wrap up the final Test and clinch the two-match series. The Kiwis defeated Zimbabwe by an innings and 359 runs, which is the third-largest margin of victory by an innings in Test cricket history, and New Zealand’s biggest-ever win in the format.

After bundling out Zimbabwe for 125 in the first innings, New Zealand took a massive 476-run lead while posting a total of 601/3 declared, with Devon Conway (153), Henry Nicholls (150), and Rachin Ravindra (165) contributing significantly and the third instance where three batters of a team scoring 150+ runs in a innings after Australia and India.

In the second innings, Zimbabwe were bundled out for 117 in 28.1 overs, and New Zealand clinched one of the most dominant victories in their cricketing history.

Image Credit : X

Zakary Foulkes Dream Test Debut

New Zealand pacer Zakary Foulkes could not have asked better Test debut than in the 2nd match of the series against Zimbabwe. In the first innings, Foulkes picked up four wickets and registered figures of 4/38 at an economy rate of 2.40 in 16 overs.

In the second innings, the 23-year-old recorded his maiden Test fifer and registered figures of 5/37 at an economy rate of 2.40 in nine overs. Across both innings, Zakary Foulkes registered the figures of 5/75 at an economy rate of 3 in 25 overs, which is the best by any New Zealand on his Test debut. He surpassed Will O’Rourke’s figures of 3/93 in his Test debut against South Africa in 2024.

Zakary Foulkes had a great start to his Test career and stepped up for New Zealand at a time when their pace attack was transitioning, instantly marking himself as a potential long-term spearhead for the Black Caps.