London, July 31: India ended a truncated opening day of the fifth and final Test against England at 204 for six, with Karun Nair (52)* and Washington Sundar (19)* steadying the ship after several interruptions due to rain at The Oval on Thursday.
A total of 64 overs were bowled on the day, thanks to persistent showers and a damp outfield that restricted play for large stretches.
In the final extended session, India added 119 runs in 35 overs, but also lost three wickets in the process, leaving the match finely poised after Day 1.
England’s bowlers made early inroads, dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal (2) and K L Rahul (14) before lunch. Gus Atkinson struck first, trapping Jaiswal LBW, before Chris Woakes sent Rahul’s off stump cartwheeling to reduce India to 38 for two.
After rain forced an early lunch, play resumed briefly in the afternoon, only for India captain Shubman Gill (21) to gift his wicket away via a needless run-out.
Attempting a risky single, Gill was caught short by Atkinson’s sharp reflexes and direct hit. Rain returned soon after, prompting an early tea.On resumption, debutant Sai Sudharsan (38) and Ravindra Jadeja (11) fell to incisive spells from Josh Tongue (2/47) and Atkinson (2/31), leaving India wobbling at 153 for six before Nair and Sundar staged a quiet rescue act.
While India’s top order struggled for rhythm, it was England’s bowling that veered between brilliant and wayward, particularly on a green-tinged pitch under overcast skies. Tongue produced two exceptional deliveries to dismiss Sudharsan and Jadeja, yet was also guilty of erratic line and length.Adding to England’s worries was a shoulder injury to Chris Woakes, who left the field late in the day clutching his left arm in a makeshift sling after diving at the boundary. With a depleted pace attack already missing Ben Stokes, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, and Brydon Carse, the potential loss of Woakes could severely impact England’s chances of securing a 2-1 series win.The match began with a notable moment as India lost their 15th consecutive toss, a streak defying 1-in-32,678 odds.
Ollie Pope, standing in for the injured Stokes, opted to bowl first—making it the 22nd straight first-class match at The Oval where the toss winner chose to field.
Despite setbacks, India showed fight with the bat, and the true value of their 204 will only become clear once they bowl under similar helpful conditions. With four days left and both sides grappling with injuries and inconsistency, the series decider remains delicately balanced—though England will have to dig deep, especially if Woakes is ruled out. As the clouds continued to loom over The Oval and shadows lengthened on a rain-hit first day, both teams found themselves wrestling with more than just the scoreboard. For India, the resilience of Karun Nair and Washington Sundar in the final session offered a flicker of hope amidst the top-order stumbles. Their unbroken 51-run stand brought calm to a stop-start innings, suggesting that a first-innings total north of 275 isn’t beyond reach. (PTI)
