India’s persistence finally paid off early on Day 4 of the fifth Test at The Oval as Prasidh Krishna delivered a well-executed plan to remove England opener Ben Duckett, breaking a frustrating stand.The breakthrough came with Duckett on 54, just as he looked to settle into the morning session. Prasidh, who had been probing him with a spell of short-of-length deliveries, set him up with a change in length and drew a fatal error.The pacer claimed the crucial wicket of Duckett with a clever setup, drawing the left-hander into a loose drive. Bowling fuller and outside off, Prasidh tempted Duckett, who was caught pushing at the ball without fully committing on the front foot.
The resulting thick outside edge flew to KL Rahul at second slip, who took a sharp catch to his right. The dismissal sparked jubilant celebrations, with captain Shubman Gill visibly pumped, which was a sign that the team’s plan to target Duckett had worked perfectly after several deliveries had narrowly missed the edge earlier in the session.
Irfan Pathan on X (Screengrab)
The dismissal was the product of sustained pressure, both verbal and tactical. Duckett had endured a tense time at the crease with Indian fielders, including captain Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, urging him on to play expansive strokes, which was another clear indication of the bait being laid.Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan summed it up best on social media, writing, “Loved the setup by Prasidh Krishna against Ben Duckett. Kept hitting that short-of-length area, pushing him back — then nailed the trap with a fuller one that invited the drive. Classic setup, well-executed wicket.”Ben Duckett has struggled more against right-arm seam from around the wicket this series, averaging just 37.14 with seven dismissals, compared to 71.50 against over-the-wicket. Since 2022, his overall average against both angles has been around 45, showing how India have targeted a clear weakness.
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The wicket gave India their first big breakthrough of the day, fuelling belief that they can force a result and level the series 2-2.
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