With Day 4 of the fifth Test underway at The Oval, India are pressing hard for a series-levelling victory against England. As the tension builds, former India head coach Ravi Shastri offered sharp insight into how Indian bowlers can exploit the pitch to maximum effect. Speaking to former Australia international Mel Jones ahead of the day’s play, Shastri pointed out the key areas Indian bowlers should target.
“I think Gautam Gambhir should just get his bowlers here, just show them these dents. X marks as well. Marks there, and just say: focus on that area. You know that’s where you’ve got to be 80% of the time. The pitch will do the rest,” said Shastri while inspecting the surface on Sky Sports Cricket. Unlike the flat tracks seen earlier in the series, this one has a generous covering of grass. Shastri emphasised the difference in playing conditions, saying, “As opposed to Leeds, this has a lot more grass on the surface, so things will happen a lot quicker. England chased down the score at Leeds. If they come even closer, I think they’ve done twice the job of what they did in Leeds, because this is not easy.” He underlined the difficulty of the task England face in chasing down a steep target, while maintaining it’s not beyond reach. “It will require—they’ll have to bat out of their skins to pull off something special here. This will be twice the effort of what they put in. Not impossible. Not impossible. The first session becomes crucial, where they don’t lose more than a wicket.” England started steadily before Mohammad Siraj struck late in the morning session with a searing yorker that removed Zak Crawley right at the 50-run mark. With more than 300 still to get, India remain in the driver’s seat. Mel Jones, who accompanied Shastri during the pitch inspection, also noted the surface’s unpredictable nature.
Poll
Will India’s bowlers successfully exploit the pitch conditions at The Oval?
“We’ve been having a look at this pitch. It’s definitely dented. Is that what’s causing that extra bounce, do you think? Hugely so… What we’ve seen though is when it has hit those dents, it’s kicked,” she observed. With the surface deteriorating and pressure mounting, Shastri’s tactical pointers may prove pivotal in India’s final push.
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