LONDON: During England’s first innings early on Day 2 of the fifth and final Test here at the Oval, it was looking India pacers were operating on an altogether different surface. The wicket, which made the ball talk when the English pacers were bowling, seemingly has gone on sleep mode. The duo of Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett might have pressed the button with their explosive opening partnership that dismantled India pace attack.
They lost Duckett (38-ball 43) but England were cruising at 109/1 after 16 overs at lunch. Post-break session saw them lose wickets of Crawley (64 off 57) and captain Ollie Pope inside 10 overs but the hosts were still in control when drinks were taken after 30 overs. They were well placed at 161/3 with ever-reliable Joe Root and quick scorer Harry Brook unbeaten on 16 and 7 runs, respectively.
It all changed thereafter as India’s workhorse Siraj, who was leading the pace attack in absence of Jasprit Bumrah and had already picked Pope’s wicket, gave England two jolts inside five overs to push them on the backfoot. The first one was huge as the Hyderabad pacer made one ball to nip back in using scrambled seam. It hit Root’s front pad and the on-field umpire adjudged him LBW. Root reviewed the decision but the ball was hitting the top of leg stump. England were only 49 runs shy of India’s first innings total when they lost Root. With Jacob Bethell and Harry Brook, who love to take on the bowlers and score at a brisk pace, at the crease, England needed only a few more overs to surpass India’s total and then look to build a sizeable lead.
Siraj, however, foiled the plan as he trapped Bethell in front of the wickets with an inswinging yorker, which landed on the batter’s toe. By then the Indian pacers had combined for almost 37 overs with spinner yet to be introduced by skipper Shubman Gill. Jadeja replaced Akash Deep soon but it was Prasidh Krishna, making his way back to the playing XI after featuring in the first two matches, who brought England’s innings to a screeching halt by scalping two wickets in the same over.
First the wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith went for a square drive but could only get a thin edge which went to KL Rahul positioned at second slip. It was flying over the fielder’s left shoulder but Rahul kept his eyes on the ball and made sure he held the catch. Jamie Overton was the next man to depart off the fourth ball from Prasidh. Despite getting plumbed, Overton went for a review only to lose it. The Karnataka pacer, who had Crawley early in the innings, then picked his fourth wicket of the innings in the form of Gus Atkinson.
As the pacer Chris Woakes was ruled out of the match, India needed just a wicket to wrap England’s innings but rain stopped the play. Harry Brook was unbeaten on 48 with Josh Tongue to his company. England could add only five runs to their total when the play resumed. Brook completed his half-century before being castled by Siraj as England’s innings ended on 247. Siraj and Prasidh finished with four wickets each.
India openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul then quickly wiped off the deficit. Rahul fell first and B Sai Sudharsan followed shortly after, but Jaiswal got to his fifty after getting dropped thrice as the visitors finished with 75/2.
Earlier, Pope and Co needed just half-an-hour and less than six overs to bundle out India. The visitors, in fact, lost the last four wickets for just six runs.
Unlike the opening day, it was a bright and sunny day - apt conditions for overnight batters Karun Nair and Washington Sundar - to add to the team's total. The duo, however, could not last long as the visitors could add only 20 runs to their overnight total to get bowled out for 224 in 69.4 overs.
Pacer Tongue, who scalped two wickets on the first day, started the proceedings for the hosts and soon sent back Nair with a delivery that nipped back in, beating the inside edge of the batter and hitting the back knee roll of the batter. Nair opted for a review but the decision was upheld.
Atkinson then got rid of Washington and claimed the remaining two wickets to finish with a five-for on his return to Test cricket after a hamstring injury he suffered during the one-off Test against Zimbabwe in May.
