For the fifth time in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy the Test will be decided on Day 5.
England were chugging along nicely towards the target of 374 with seven wickets in one hand and the other on the inaugural Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy win. Harry Brook got dismissed after a sparkling 111 off just 98 balls. No big deal. Less than 60 runs to win the Oval Test. Then Prasidh Krishna gets the better of Jacob Bethell. A little bit concerning, but only 42 runs to win while Joe Root is still there with two capable batters yet to bat. Chris Woakes, who had dislocated his shoulder in the first innings, was loitering near the dressing room’s espresso machine in a sling.
Prasidh then bowls four length deliveries on the middle stump to Root, who deals with three but one rams into his pads. Umpire says no, but Shubman Gill is desperate. KL Rahul, usually the epitome of composed DRS decisions, tells his captain to go for it. Gill takes the ‘T’, Woakes leaves his coffee.
There are nerves in the England dressing room all of a sudden. Umpire Ahsan Raza was right, as Hawk Eye shows the ball missing the leg-stump. Gus Atkinson pads up and looks over the Oval balcony with a poker face.
Prasidh, who had riled up a monk-like Root to go verbal in the first innings, gets him on his next attempt, this time caught brilliantly by Dhruv Jurel.
England, who were freewheeling the chase at five runs per over at one point, could now only manage a run in the next 20 balls. Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton were finding fielders, sending back their partners to the danger end.
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India now needs only four wickets or three and a half with Woakes in a sling. This is where Bazball has succeeded in this series. They won the key moments by shutting down creeping self-doubt, but will know not to count out India.
Just then, the clouds converged over Kensington, and umpires had to walk the players off the field. There was still over 40 minutes left in the day and a possible space for two more overs when the rain stopped. But the umpires spoke to both teams, and the play ended.
England would’ve liked to finish off the remaining 35 runs with no concern about the new ball. Former pacer Stuart Broad thought so too, as he looked at people waiting for the London local.
“Still 20 mins away from possible start time, everyone has their sunglasses on at the train station. Felt the supporters deserved to see a finish to that Test Match today. Felt a lazy decision to call it off at 6 PM in my opinion. I wonder who makes it?” Broad tweeted.
Broad very well knows that both teams were consulted, but fate is hell bent on sending every match of this series to the final day.
Odds are stacked against India, but England supporters will walk into Day 5 with folded hands. Before Ravi Shastri can say it, “Test cricket has already won.”
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