Josh Tongue turned the tide in England’s favour with two sharp wickets on a rain-hit Day 1 of the fifth and final Test at The Oval, putting India on the back foot in their must-win encounter. After India lost skipper Shubman Gill to a run-out, the visitors were looking to rebuild through Sai Sudharsan and Ravindra Jadeja. But Tongue had other ideas. First, he got rid of the gritty Sudharsan in the 36th over, who had settled in after scoring 38 off 108 balls. Tongue delivered a sensational ball that angled in and then nipped away late, squaring Sudharsan up completely. The left-hander edged it straight to Jamie Smith behind the stumps, walking off immediately after the nick. It was a high-quality delivery – one that would have troubled even the most seasoned batters. Then came an even more awkward ball for Jadeja in the 40th over. Trying to hang in and build a partnership, the all-rounder was undone by a short-of-length delivery that kicked off the surface and moved away. Jadeja was caught in an uncomfortable position as he tried to defend on the move, and the outside edge once again flew to Smith. The veteran batter, who put up a marathon stand with Washington Sundar in the 4th Test could only manage 9 runs in 13 balls. In a spell where Tongue had been inconsistent, these two deliveries stood out for their quality and impact. Both Sudharsan and Jadeja were key to India’s plans of putting up a strong first-innings total, and their dismissals have left the visitors in a pickle.
Poll
What was more painful for India: losing Sudharsan or Jadeja?
As things stand, India trail 2-1 in the series and need a win to draw level. But with wickets like these falling at crucial moments, their task only gets tougher.
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