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Run Out, Batting Collapse Rock India As England Control Rain-Hit Day 1 At The Oval

Kaushik Kashyap

England in control on Day 1. [Source - AP]England in control on Day 1. [Source - AP]

On a rain-hit opening day at The Oval, England bowlers made full use of the helpful conditions to put India on the back foot. With frequent interruptions and tough batting conditions, India’s batting collapsed, ending the day under pressure with 204 for 6.

Here, we take a look how it panned out on the Day 1 of the fifth Test between England and India at the Kennington Oval in London on Thursday, July 31st.

Early Jitters Before Rain Ends Tough Morning For India

It was a gloomy morning at The Oval, and England, sensing an opportunity on a green-tinged surface, opted to bowl first after winning the toss. India got off to a bad start as Yashasvi Jaiswal could not survive long, falling lbw to Gus Atkinson, who was playing his first game in the series.

KL Rahul and Sai Sudharsan steadied the ship with solid technique, navigating the first hour without breaking any sweat. However, just as Rahul seemed settled, he played a loose cut and dragged one onto his stumps off Chris Woakes. Shubman Gill then joined Sudharsan, and the duo looked comfortable until a sharp downpour forced an early lunch with India at 72/2.

England Dominate After Rain But Nair’s Fifty Fuels India’s Fightback

After over two hours of rain halt, the second session resumed with increased movement both in the air and off the pitch. Gill, looking assured after crossing 20, was run out in a moment of madness, attempting a risky single as Atkinson collected the ball in his follow-through and hit the stumps, leaving Gill stranded and dejected.

Karun Nair then came into the middle, but rain interrupted the play again, prompting an early tea break and costing another hour. After resumption, India aimed to avoid further damage, but Josh Tongue, despite being wayward, struck twice, removing the well-set Sudharsan and the in-form Ravindra Jadeja with two very good deliveries.

Dhruv Jurel and Nair looked to steady the innings and navigate through the session, but Jurel fell midway and England maintained firm control. The toss proved crucial, as India never looked settled with the bat. Nair brought up a brilliant half-century amid tough conditions, and along with Washington Sundar, saw off the final hour to take India to 204/6.