The England openers made a strong start to their record chase of 368 against India, with Haseeb Hameed and Rory Burns stitching a stand over 70 as India struggle for a bit of depth in their bowling.
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Virat Kohli and the Indian cricket team are currently holding a slim advantage in the fourth Test against England at The Oval. Rohit Sharma’s century and a strong all-round performance from Shardul Thakur have put India on top. England’s highest successful chase was 360 during the Leeds Ashes Test against Australia in 2019. At that time, they had the brilliance of Ben Stokes who hit a career-defining 135. But, with the England batting looking fragile in the entire series, India will have a chance to make it 2-1 against England with one Test to be played.
But, Indian bowling is missing some experience. Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami are out injured for this match. The main talking point was the absence of R Ashwin. Ravindra Jadeja, bowling on the fourth day, managed to get turn but with the absence of Ashwin, India might struggle a bit to run through the England batting. The pitch is still flat at The Oval and run-scoring might be easier as the game progresses.
Speaking about the bowling line-up, England commentators have stated that India might struggle a bit in the bowling department. This sentiment was given by former England captain Michael Atherton and West Indies bowler Michael Holding.
Speaking after the end of the day, Atherton remarked, “It’s pretty flat, there’s not much happening, and then you look at the shape of India’s attack. No Shami, no Ishant, no Ashwin. They seemed very reliant in that first innings on Bumrah especially. How much will Jadeja have an influence? He may have an impact, (but) it’s a good pitch.”
Holding also echoed Atherton’s sentiment, with pacers from both sides struggling slightly. “I don’t really see this pitch playing too many tricks. I didn’t see the England seamers create too many problems… and the India seamers I don’t expect to do much better. And Jadeja, I don’t know. I would have preferred Ashwin if you’re talking about just the bowling,” Holding said.
The biggest talking point in The Oval Test was the exclusion of R Ashwin. With over 400 wickets and five Test tons, Ashwin has a fabulous Test record. In the series that was played in India, Ashwin was the star with some magnificent performances. But, in the ongoing series, Ashwin has been ignored ever since the end of the ICC World Test Championship final. Against New Zealand in Southampton, Ashwin picked up four wickets and was one of the best bowlers.
But, with Kohli sticking to a template of playing four pacers and only one spinner, that has meant Ashwin has played second fiddle to Jadeja. The left-arm spinner has not had much bowling in the previous three Tests. On day 5, the workload on Jadeja might be a lot more as compared to Trent Bridge, Lord’s and Leeds. On a pitch in which Ashwin took six wickets in a County circuit, his exclusion was a major issue.
After the end of the fourth Test, the final match will be played on September 10 in Old Trafford. After the end of the series, the IPL will be played from September 19.
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