Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna effectively countered the England openers’ aggressive play, while Yashasvi Jaiswal’s impressive fifty enabled India to gain the upper hand. The fluctuating contest in the England-India series persisted as India concluded Day 2 of the Oval Test with a 52-run advantage, following the dismissal of England for 247 in their first innings.
Yashasvi Jaiswal (51*) and nightwacthman Akash Deep successfully navigated England;s bowling attack after the hosts managed to secure two Indian wickets, KL Rahul and Sai Sudharsan, before the close of play, despite having dropped Jaiswal when he was 41.
A total of 16 wickets fell on the second day of the decisive match, with fast bowlers dominating the action, setting the stage for a thrilling conclusion to the Test.
With England openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley posing a significant threat to take control of the match after India was dismissed early, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna orchestrated a comeback for India, limiting England’s lead to a mere 23 runs.
Both Siraj and Krishna delivered improved lines after lunch, with Siraj significantly impacting England’s performance by taking four crucial wickets, including those of stand-in captain Ollie Pope (22), Joe Root (29), and Jacob Bethell during an intense sight-over spell.
Siraj’s remarkable resurgence following a disappointing morning session positioned him as the leading wicket-taker in the series, having claimed Harry Brook (53) as his 18th wicket in the tournament.
Siraj received excellent support from Krishna, who initiated the proceedings post-lunch by dismissing the elegantly poised Crawley (64). He then followed this by taking the wickets of Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, and Gus Atkinson.
Brook endeavoured to stabilize the innings alongside the lower order and achieved his half-century in the process before Siraj ultimately outperformed him.
England commenced Day 2 at the Oval with one player absent, placing additional responsibility on their fast bowler after Chris Woakes was excluded from the final Test due to a shoulder injury.
As India resumed their innings at 204/6, the England bowlers, spearheaded by Gus Atkinson, effectively dealt with the Indian tail after Josh Tongue successfully trapped Karun Nair (57) in front of the stumps.
The visitors lost their last four wickets for a mere six runs, experiencing a collapse within the first half-hour of play, with Atkinson achieving his fourth five-wicket haul by capturing the final three wickets.
England maintained dominance in the initial session as openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley started explosively, achieving a scoring rate exceeding seven runs per over and reaching their century within 15 overs, although Duckett was dismissed for 43 during this time.
Conversely, the second session was under India’s control, as their fast bowlers each claimed four wickets, ensuring that India made a strong comeback in the match.
