Karun Nair’s Half-Century Keeps England in Check on Rainy Day
Karun Nair’s Half-Century Keeps England in Check on Rainy Day
Karun Nair hit a fighting unbeaten 52 and took India to 204/6 in 64 overs at stumps on day one of the fifth Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test against England at The Oval.
After four high-scoring Tests played on flat pitches that gave bowlers from both sides a tough time and even led to injuries for stars like Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, and Jasprit Bumrah the action moved to The Oval. Known for favoring seam bowlers recently, this pitch gave bowlers a bit more breathing room. England made the most of it, grabbing six wickets while giving away 30 extras, with India scoring just 204 runs.
India arrived at the ground with the odds stacked heavily against them. They had lost 14 tosses in a row, and statistically, losing a 15th straight toss was as rare as spotting a unicorn. Yet, that’s exactly what happened but they didn’t let it get them down.
England started the day with the advantage of bowling first on a pitch covered in 8mm of grass. Their pace bowlers benefited from the rain that fell throughout the afternoon. It helped keep them fresh and created moist conditions that made swing and seam bowling more effective. Only 64 overs were bowled due to weather, but there was still enough in the pitch to trouble the batters. England’s lack of accuracy helped India survive, as did Karun Nair, who scored a gutsy half-century after waiting 3,149 days for his return to the Test spotlight. He’s now in with a chance to seal his spot in the lineup, thanks in part to the mistakes England made.
Josh Tongue had a strange day. In his 13 overs, he managed just 13 false shots, but his bowling was so wayward at times it looked like the stumps were dodging the ball. His first over alone had 11 runs in wides. Still, when he got his act together briefly, he dismissed both Sai Sudharsan and Ravindra Jadeja, triggering a mini-collapse from 101/3 to 123/5. His bowling was inconsistent a mix of poor deliveries and brilliant ones.
Shubman Gill played some excellent strokes early on, especially in tough conditions. He stood well outside the crease and made Chris Woakes look ineffective. He punished the rest of the attack with classy cuts and pulls. In the process, Gill broke Sunil Gavaskar’s long-standing record of 732 runs in a Test series as captain, reaching the highest ever by an India skipper.
Gill’s timing with the bat is often described as magical. But ironically, he got out to a ball he struck well. He played a front-foot defensive shot and tried to sneak a run, but Gus Atkinson was alert. He collected the ball during his follow-through and threw down the stumps. Gill wasn’t even close to the crease. Just minutes later, rain stopped play again timing couldn’t have been worse.
Sai Sudharsan, playing on a ground he knows from county cricket, looked solid. England kept trying to get him caught down the leg side, but he managed it well. On one delivery, just as Atkinson bowled an inswinger, a pigeon flew across the pitch. Sai handled the delivery with a straight bat and good balance, showcasing how much he’s improved. He eventually fell for 38 to a peach from Tongue, but not before showing he belongs at this level.
Nair stepped up afterwards, hitting elegant drives through the covers. While he still shows signs of vulnerability especially to balls outside off England didn’t test him enough. He capitalised and looked composed.
Atkinson was England’s best bowler of the day. Despite returning from injury and playing only in second XI matches recently, his first spell was outstanding: six overs, one maiden, seven runs, one wicket. He removed Yashasvi Jaiswal early and remained threatening throughout. Unfortunately, the rest of the bowlers only found rhythm much later.
Both Tongue and Jamie Overton had problems with footing due to the wet pitch. They were slipping during their run-up, which made them bowl cautiously. Sawdust helped a bit, but it wasn’t ideal. When bowlers are worried about injuries, they can’t give their full effort.
By the end of the day, Nair and Washington Sundar guided India safely to stumps. It was a strange day overall neither side will be too disappointed, though England may be concerned about Woakes. He injured his shoulder trying to stop a boundary, and it might be serious.