India carved out a 52-run lead over a sloppy England on a prickly, all-action second day at The Kia Oval as a stellar fightback kept the tourists in the hunt for a 2-2 series draw.
Shubman Gill’s side closed on 75-2 in their second innings after three dropped England catches having been bundled out for 224 in their first 30 minutes into the morning’s play – Gus Atkinson ending up with 5-33 – and then dismissing their opponents for 247 in reply.
Flash points on a feisty Friday were Akash Deep’s send-off to Ben Duckett, Joe Root incensed by something Prasidh Krishna had said, and then more beef after Sai Sudharsan’s dismissal to Atkinson very late in the day as the needle that began at Lord’s and carried over into Manchester last week was in evidence again.
The hosts had raced to 92-0 inside 13 overs thanks to yet another rollicking opening stand between Zak Crawley (64) and Ben Duckett (43 off 38), at which point India looked toast, but the fiery Mohammed Siraj (4-86) led a terrific response from the away side.
England’s fielding then let them down in the evening – Yashasvi Jaiswal (51no) reprieved on 20 and 40 after errors by Harry Brook and substitute fielder Liam Dawson at slip and deep fine leg respectively, before Crawley grassed Sudharsan (11) on seven in the cordon, not that the last of those blemishes proved too costly.
Josh Tongue – taking the new ball in place of the injured Chris Woakes – nicked off KL Rahul (7) as he bowled far more accurately than he did in India’s opening dig.
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England’s Chris Woakes will miss the rest of the Test and maybe The Ashes after a shoulder injury
Woakes is expected to be out for the rest of this Test – and maybe even the impending Ashes winter – after suffering a suspected left shoulder dislocation fielding late on day one, although there remains a slim chance he bats in the second innings if required.
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England’s Ben Duckett was given a send-off by Akash Deep after being dismissed by the India quick
Dramatic day at The Oval as India rally after superb England start
There were violent swings in momentum, in keeping with the rest of a seesaw series, starting with England utterly dominating the morning session in south London after India resumed on 204-6.
India were all out 20 runs and 34 balls later – Atkinson with three of the final four wickets to fall as he clinched a fourth five-for in just his 13th Test – before Duckett and Crawley punished wayward bowling.
Duckett reverse scooped Deep for six during that riotous partnership but then fell to the same bowler playing the same shot and was given a bizarre goodbye by the quick.
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Umpire Kumar Dharmasena was forced to step in after Joe Root and Prasidh Krishna clashed
Deep put his arm around Duckett before being pulled away by the calming Rahul, although it is an incident that may be pounced upon by match referee Jeff Crowe – so, too, an exchange of words between the usually zen-like Root and India’s Krishna.
Umpire Kumar Dharmasena was forced to intervene after the Root-Krishna beef, which came during a spicy six-wicket second session that dragged India back into the game.
Krishna bagged three of those scalps – Crawley pulled to midwicket shortly after lunch and Jamie Smith (8) and Jamie Overton (0) pouched at slip and lbw respectively in the over before tea.
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Ben Duckett and Sai Sudharsan had an exchange of words following the fall of India’s second and final wicket of the second day at The Oval
Siraj sizzles as India eye series-drawing victory
In between Krishna’s breakthroughs, it was all about Siraj.
One of only two pace bowlers across both teams to have featured in all five Tests – alongside now-injured Woakes – Siraj trapped stand-in captain Ollie Pope (22), Root (29) and Jacob Bethell (6) lbw during a wholehearted and ferocious display.
Bethell – into the side for the injured Ben Stokes (shoulder) – unfurled one delicious off-side boundary before falling 14th ball in his first Test innings in England, after hitting three half-centuries in as many matches during the 2-1 win in New Zealand last year.
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Mohammed Siraj led India’s fightback, taking the wickets of Root, Brook, Ollie Pope, and Jacob Bethell
Brook (53) took England into the lead before having his stumps rearranged by Siraj – the all out at nine down with Woakes not batting.
Right at the start of the day, Atkinson dismissed Washington Sundar (26) on the pull and then ripped through India’s tail after the erratic Tongue (3-57) had pinned the tourists’ first-innings top-scorer Karun Nair lbw for 57 with a nip-backer.
England will now hope for a similar wicket-laden start to Saturday.
Watch day three of the fifth Test between England and India, at The Kia Oval, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.15am on Saturday (first ball at 11am) or stream without a contract.
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England’s Gus Atkinson took five wickets and a run out in India’s first innings at The Kia Oval
England vs India – results and schedule
All games at 11am UK and Ireland; all on Sky Sports