Key events
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.
