India Take Narrow Lead After Exciting Day 2 of Fifth Test at The Oval
Day 2 of the fifth Test between England and India at The Oval provided plenty of action, with 15 wickets falling across the three sessions. India, resuming their first innings at 204/6, were quickly bowled out for 224, adding just 20 runs in less than 30 minutes. Gus Atkinson starred with the ball, claiming a five-wicket haul, including three wickets in quick succession, as India’s tail collapsed. The early morning session saw Karun Nair dismissed by Josh Tongue, with Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna following soon after, all dismissed by Atkinson and Tongue.
In reply, England’s openers, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, were aggressive, reaching 92 runs in just 77 balls. Duckett, in particular, was playing a fearless brand of cricket, reverse-scooping and ramping the ball for boundaries before falling to Akash Deep for 43. Crawley continued his good form, racing to a 42-ball fifty, his third of the series, before being dismissed by Prasidh Krishna. At lunch, England were comfortably placed at 109/1.
After lunch, however, India fought back with some brilliant bowling. Mohammed Siraj produced a devastating second spell, claiming three wickets for just 35 runs in eight overs. Siraj removed Ollie Pope, Joe Root, and Jacob Bethell, all LBWs, to bring India back into the game. Prasidh Krishna provided valuable support, taking out Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton in quick succession. He later dismissed Gus Atkinson and Harry Brook, finishing with impressive figures of 4/62. England were eventually bowled out for 247, taking a slim 23-run lead.
India’s second innings began with a quick-fire 51 not out from Yashasvi Jaiswal, who faced just 49 balls and struck seven fours and two sixes. Despite KL Rahul and Sai Sudharsan falling cheaply, India ended the day at 75/2, still holding a 52-run lead. The umpires called stumps early due to bad light, after Ollie Pope declined the option to continue with spin bowling. The stage is set for an exciting third day as both teams continue to battle for supremacy.
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