ENG v IND, 4th Test: England Needs 291 Runs To Win, India 10 Wickets On Day 5

Cricket Image for ENG v IND, 4th Test: England Needs 293 Runs To Win, India 10 Wickets On Day 5 (Image Source: Twitter)

A safe start by English openers has kept the match in balance after India gave England a target of 368 runs to win the 4th test at the Oval on Sunday. 

Resuming the day at 270/3, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja continued from where they left last evening - defending. The two saw off the first 40 minutes however the introduction of Chris Woakes changed the game. 

Woakes removed Jadeja LBW for 17 and almost got Ajinkya Rahane in the same over - a review saved him. But Rahane couldn't capitalise on that and another Woakes delivery struck him in front as he walked back to the pavilion for a duck. 

Virat Kohli at the other end was looking in sublime touch. He drove well, defended well, and had some luck as well throughout his innings of 44 before Moeen Ali's got the better of the Indian captain eventually. Ali drew Kohli forwarded but a straight delivery found the edge to the only slip. 

The second session saw Rishabh Pant and Shardul Thakur paving the way and helping India extend its lead. While Pant controlled his natural game and left most deliveries outside off, Shardul's innings had some delightful strokes all over the ground. 

Shardul reached his fifty earlier than Pant but Joe Root finally got the better of him. A partnership of 100 runs from 155 balls was finally broken. As soon as Pant reached his half-century, Moeen Ali got him out caught and bowled. 

If England had thought the Indian tail would wrap up quickly, they were once again wronged by the pair of Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah, who added 36 runs from 51 balls. Bumrah scored 24 off 38 while Umesh made 25 from just 23 with the help of two sixes and a four as India's lower order inflated the lead to 367 before getting bowled out. 

England's openers - Haseeb Hameed and Rory Burns - looked comfortable from the first ball. The Indian bowlers couldn't find much from the pitch to trouble the batters. Kohli brought in Jadeja as the first change bowler to make use of the rough created outside left hander's off stump. 

While Jadeja did pitched it right on the rough, but it wasn't much trouble for Burns who simply defended it or bodied it. The English openers batted 32 overs to make 77 runs but most importantly didn't lose any wicket to make the day five open for all three results. 

Brief Scorecard: 

England - 290/10 & 77/0
India - 191/10 & 466/10