Key events
20th over: India 56-2 (Sudharsan 18, Gill 6) The floodlights are finally off, the sun properly beaming down. Sudharsan continues to play inside the line against Woakes, the ball whistling past his outside edge. The release of pressure comes with one on the pads, Sudharsan glancing to the fine-leg rope for four.
19th over: India 52-2 (Sudharsan 14, Gill 6) Jamie Overton, three years on from his Test debut, is back, bowling on his home ground. Replacing Tongue, he’s erratic, too; a wide outside off is followed by a long hop, Gill cutting comfortably for four. The sun is out now at the Oval yet the lights are still on. Overton is clearly not happy with how he’s landing at the crease as he drops short to Gill, Pope doing well at midwicket to stop the boundary. A beaut closes the over, Overton getting an outswinger to beat Gill’s bat.
18th over: India 46-2 (Sudharsan 13, Gill 2) Gill clips Woakes off his pads, nearly bringing Jacob Bethell into play at midwicket … it drops just short, claimed on the half-volley.
17th over: India 44-2 (Sudharsan 13, Gill 0) Lovely from Sudharsan – who knows this ground well as an overseas pro with Surrey – on-driving Tongue for four.
16th over: India 40-2 (Sudharsan 9, Gill 0) The sun has poked through at the Oval, but it’s not easy out there for the two batters. Woakes gets some serious nip away from Sudharsan before Shubman Gill leaves his first delivery of the day.
WICKET! Rahul b Woakes 14 (India 38-2)
That’s big. Rahul was the more comfortable one at the crease but he brings out the wrong shot against Woakes, cutting when he needed to show the straight bat, inside-edging on to his stumps.
15th over: India 38-1 (Sudharsan 8, Rahul 14) Tongue continues from the Vauxhall End, Pope backing him with a packed slip cordon. He gets the ball to leap off a length and Sudharsan does pretty well to keep the ball down and safe. An attempted cut goes wrong with the next delivery as Sudharsan plays out five dots, stuck on eight off 43 deliveries.
14th over: India 37-1 (Sudharsan 8, Rahul 14) Woakes is back to have a go from the Pavilion End, with Sudharsan still trying to settle in. Rahul is completely locked in and fairly untroubled as he claims the only run of the over.
John Donnellan, I’ve got you sorted:
Hi everybody from an overcast Spiddal in county Galway. It’s our last day at work before our summer holidays and we’re all winding down. I can’t speak for any of my colleagues but I’m in bad need of some live commentary to get me through to 5pm. Anyone out there with a link to the overseas TMS.
Vikram Prasad asks:
Apologies if I got this wrong (its still before my 2nd cup of coffee early in Michigan), but does this mark the 16th time in a row India has lost the toss? That has ~1 in 32000 odds assuming a truly unbiased coin and the usual caveats about randomness…..
It’s not that bad. It’s just their 15th failed coin toss in a row.
13th over: India 36-1 (Sudharsan 8, Rahul 13) A snorter from Tongue! He’s got this delivery in him, a yorker that floors Sudharsan … actually, upon replay, it’s a low full toss that the left-hander inside-edges on to his pads. It prompted a full-blooded leg-before shout, though. Tongue goes too wide of off stump later in the over, and Sudharsan punches down the ground for two to close it. Time for drinks, with Tongue still trying to find his radar.
12th over: India 34-1 (Sudharsan 6, Rahul 13) Pope is backing his Surrey teammate to strike again in this spell; Atkinson thunders in for his sixth over. He gets the ball to nip away from Rahul, a gorgeous delivery, and closes another tight set. He has figures of one for seven.
11th over: India 33-1 (Sudharsan 5, Rahul 13) Tongue has got the wides out of his system and closes a maiden with a testing nip-backer to Rahul. It’s a quality leave from the right-hander.
10th over: India 33-1 (Sudharsan 5, Rahul 13) The lights are on at the Oval as Atkinson continues, immaculate with his line to Sudharsan, getting the ball to zigzag. Smith produces an excellent diving take to close the over.
9th over: India 30-1 (Sudharsan 5, Rahul 10) Ollie Pope makes his first change of the morning, with Josh Tongue replacing Woakes. His first delivery is way off, a wide down the leg side that runs to the boundary. Rahul masterfully gets off strike, dabbing into the ground to nick a single. Tongue goes around the wicket to Sudharsan and hoops one down the leg side before producing another wide, this time outside off stump. He seems to be struggling with his landing at the crease, and out comes another ball that runs away for five wides down leg. This is a wild start but he eventually finds his spot, closing with a fine ball past the outside edge.
8th over: India 18-1 (Sudharsan 5, Rahul 9) The action is coming from Atkinson’s end, the quick steaming in with the pavilion behind him. There’s decent carry on the way to Jamie Smith, and no messing about with his line. It’s another fine over, with just one off it.
7th over: India 17-1 (Sudharsan 5, Rahul 8) Four slips and a gully wait for Sudharsan to err. Woakes, from over the wicket, unfurls a beauty, nipping the ball away from the left-hander. He’s surely been waiting all series for these conditions. Sudharsan then receives a gift, though, on the pads and clipped past leg slip for four.
6th over: India 13-1 (Sudharsan 1, Rahul 8) Atkinson is fresh, clocking in the mid-80s as he tries to nip the ball away from Rahul. He hangs it around fifth stump and Rahul is forced to get out the leave. A maiden.
5th over: India 13-1 (Sudharsan 1, Rahul 8) Sudharsan gets going with a dab into the offside for one before Woakes, still searching for the right areas, ends with a tempter wide of off stump.
4th over: India 10-1 (Sudharsan 0, Rahul 7) Atkinson has rhythm as he beats the bat of Sai Sudharsan, the No 3 still trying to lock down his position.
WICKET! Jaiswal lbw Atkinson 2 (India 10-1)
Atkinson launches into an lbw appeal after going full to Jaiswal from around the wicket … England review. Here comes DRS: there’s no bat on it, and it looks pretty plumb … gone, smashing into leg stump! Atkinson is back, that wobble/scramble seam (I’m not too sure, but that’s the point), causing havoc.
3rd over: India 9-0 (Jaiswal 2, Rahul 7) Rahul has his first boundary, clipping to the midwicket rope, Jamie Overton’s dive and slide unable to stop it. Woakes hasn’t go the ball hooping yet, as Jaiswal inside-edges for one to stay on strike for the next over.
2nd over: India 3-0 (Jaiswal 1, Rahul 2) In sprints Gus Atkinson, on his home ground, for his first bit of action in this series. He gets the wobble seam to nip past Jaiswal’s off stump, a Rahul single the only damage from the over.
1st over: India 2-0 (Jaiswal 1, Rahul 1) We’re up and away with Chris Woakes – soldiering on for all five Tests – running in. Yashasvi Jaiswal tucks him away for one off the second ball of the over, and Rahul, brilliant all series, is up and way immediately. Woakes beats Jaiswal’s outside edge with the final ball to get the crowd going.
Rohan Tewari is concerned, too:
Looking forward to a morning where the contest between bat and ball is (hopefully!) more even than what we have seen all summer. I can’t get behind India’s team selection here though. If they want to square the series 2-2, the burden is on them to take 20 wickets. With only 3 strike bowlers (one of them being a dodgy 3rd seamer) I’m not sure I see India’s route to victory and a possible repeat of Headingley.
Such a shame that we haven’t seen Kuldeep. He doesn’t need the pitch to be suitable: he’s got the revs and flight to cause trouble anywhere.
The covers were on for a bit, but they’re off now. We should be starting at 11.
Krishnamoorthy v writes:
The omission of Kuldeep yadav is baffling. The current bowling line up of 5 bowlers out of which two are all rounders does not make sense. Scoring 700 will not ensure victory if you do not have the capability to take 20 wickets. England realized it at OT. By the way, has there ever been a player who toured and went back without playing a test in a 5-test series?
Kuldeep isn’t alone, of course. Arshdeep Singh hasn’t played for India this series either.
Patrick Fullick writes:
The weather this morning reflects my general feeling about this match. I’ve really enjoyed the series so far, but the atmosphere today – coming hard on the heels of the OT test – feels like the pitches so far: very flat. Here’s hoping for a good game for England to win the series. Will be following the match here and on TMS.
I’m banking on some wickets this morning to cheer you up, Patrick.
The teams
There is no Jasprit Bumrah, as expected. India have been confused about their team all summer and they look it again. Karun Nair, dropped at Old Trafford, is back in. He’s one of four changes; once again, there is no Kuldeep Yadav.
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (c), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj
England win the toss and choose to bowl first
Ollie Pope wins it and England will bowl first. It’s green, it’s overcast, it’s pretty much a no-brainer.
Matt Dony writes in:
Your preamble makes it sound a bit like Stokes has been replaced by 3 players. Which makes complete sense, as it often feels like he’s worth at least three ‘normal’ cricketers. Ben Stokes the inspirational captain, Ben Stokes the outrageously gifted cricketer, Ben Stokes the maelstrom of personality and will-to-win. I don’t think I’ve ever seen another sportsperson who just makes things happen around him like Stokes does. He’s astonishing.
It is a proper conundrum trying to replace him. They’ve brought in Jacob Bethell at six but, on this surface, that requires someone to make up Stokes’ overs as a quick. You’re basically calling up two people to replace him.
Time to get stuck in to some preview material:
Stuart Broad is having a look at the green pitch and says “it’s a definite win-the-toss-and-bowl”.
Ben Stokes has been having a chat with Sky. He talks about his braced front leg helping him bowl the way he’s done this summer, and is asked about the spiciness of this series: “Honestly, I think it gets over-egged sometimes, massively. It’s something as players that we don’t lose sleep over. If there’s a bit of niggle out there, it’s part of the game.”
Preamble
Hello, hello, hello and welcome to a damp Oval. We’ve had the handshakes that didn’t happen and the pitch palaver, but we’ve also got this: a fifth Test, with the series yet to be decided. I’ll embrace that, as should you.
I’m staring at a greenish surface, one the Indian players are getting a pretty decent look at; I’m intrigued to see how a refreshed, rather experimental England attack goes on it. A reminder, there’s no Ben Stokes, with Josh Tongue, Gus Atkinson and Jamie Overton all shipped in. There’s plenty to talk about even before the action starts. Drop me a line, and let’s enjoy the last proper show of the summer.
