After an exciting Day 2 of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy’s fifth and final Test at The Oval, former India pacer-turned-commentator Varun Aaron voiced confidence in India’s position and batting strategy heading into Day 3. Aaron evaluated India’s performance in all departments, praising Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna for their bowling efforts. He also projected a probable lead if captain Shubman Gill performs well on Saturday.
Day 2 began with the visitors losing their last four wickets for only 20 runs, thanks to Gus Atkinson’s five-wicket haul. Following that, England reached 109/1 before lunch, thanks to a good opening stand from Zak Crawley and Ben Ducket. However, the session after lunch included a blistering eight-over stretch from Mohammed Siraj (4/86) and Prasidh Krishna (4/62), both of whom played significant parts in England’s collapse, as the home team was swept out for 247 with only a 23-run lead. Aaron applauded the Indian bowling squad for fighting back after a rough morning session, as well as the two pacers.
“I always believed Siraj would come back and take wickets that’s been his story this series. He might not have the best first spell tends to go for runs but that’s because he’s always hunting for wickets. You need bowlers like that. Today, he used his wobble seam really well his most effective weapon. Once he trusted that and used the outswinger sparingly, he was at his best. That ball that swung back in and trapped the left-hander LBW classic Siraj. You can call him a lionheart or an energizer bunny he brings relentless energy and always delivers.
This had to be Prasidh’s day. He really stepped up especially after Siraj had just bowled an eight-over spell and Akash Deep had done a long shift. Prasidh getting those breakthroughs was vital. If he hadn’t, we’d have had to turn to spin, and someone like Harry Brook could have taken advantage. Thanks to Prasidh, the bowlers didn’t have to overwork, and now they’re fresh and full of confidence heading into the next innings,” Aaron said on JioHotstar’s on ‘Match Centre Live.
India are in a good position: Varun Aaron
In the final session, Yashasvi Jaiswal raced to a 44-ball fifty, capitalising on multiple dropped chances, while Akash Deep remained unbeaten at the other end. Despite losing KL Rahul and Sai Sudharsan, India ended at 75/2 with a lead of 52 runs. The former pacer pointed out that the visitors are in a good position and carry the same momentum on to the next day.
I think India are in a good position. The wicket of Sai Sudharsan could have been avoided, but it was a great delivery there wasn’t much he could have done. For me, the story of the day was the bowling spells from Siraj and Prasidh Krishna. They bowled with real heart. Even Akash Deep did a solid holding job. England started aggressively in the morning almost shock-and-awe but the Indian bowlers held their nerve.
Shubman Gill, as captain, stayed calm, didn’t go defensive too early, and ensured England’s lead didn’t cross 30, which was crucial. Jaiswal’s innings looked risky at times and he had a few chances, but his aggressive intent was important. We’ve seen India struggle with run rate in this series so someone needed to keep the scoreboard ticking. India now find themselves 50 runs ahead, which is a good position.
Looking ahead to Day 3, Aaron put India’s hopes on their skipper and mentioned if Shubman Gill gets a big score, the team can see themselves taking a lead over 300.
“I don’t think Gill will be taking any risky singles that’s for sure. But I hope he plays just like he has throughout this series. He’s already broken multiple records and could even surpass Sunil Gavaskar’s tally in this series. If he gets a big one tomorrow, India can push for a lead of over 300 and that would really tilt the game. The key will be how Gill bats and I think he knows his role is central to India’s plans,” he concluded.
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