England claimed the early initiative on a rain-interrupted opening day of the fifth and final Test against India at The Oval, reducing the visitors to 204 for 6 by stumps on Thursday.
India, who must win to level the series, lost key wickets at regular intervals. KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and captain Shubman Gill all fell cheaply, with Gill’s dismissal coming from a calamitous run-out that summed up India’s struggles.
Overcast skies provided favourable conditions for England’s seamers, although they were without injured captain Ben Stokes. Even so, early breakthroughs were hard to come by. Gus Atkinson, recalled to the side, made the first dent in the Indian innings by trapping Yashasvi Jaiswal lbw for 2. Stand-in captain Ollie Pope successfully overturned a DRS decision, a welcome result after enduring a poor run with reviews last year.
Rahul, who had scored more than 500 runs in the series, appeared untroubled until he played on to a delivery from Chris Woakes and was dismissed for 14. India reached lunch on 72 for 2.
Gill, in superb form throughout the summer, added just 21 before his innings ended in bizarre fashion. Attempting a single that was never there, he was run out comfortably by Atkinson, who had enough time to switch the ball to his right hand before hitting the stumps. Gill’s dismissal left India rattled.
Despite the brief stay at the crease, Gill moved past Sir Garfield Sobers’ 722 runs in 1966 to become the highest-scoring visiting captain in a Test series in England. His tally of 743 also placed him among the top nine for most runs in a series on English soil.
Play resumed after a lengthy rain delay. Josh Tongue struggled with his control early on, sending down a nine-ball over that cost 12 runs, but found his rhythm soon after. He dismissed debutant Sai Sudharsan for 38 with a well-directed delivery that took the edge. Soon afterwards, he struck again to remove Jadeja for 9, both wickets caught behind.
Dhruv Jurel tried to mount a recovery. He overturned an lbw decision with a successful review but was dismissed the very next ball. Atkinson cramped him for room and Harry Brook took a sharp catch at second slip to send him back for 19. India found themselves struggling at 170 for 6.
Karun Nair, returning to the team, provided some much-needed stability with a calm unbeaten 52. He was joined by Washington Sundar, who reached 19 not out by the close. Atkinson was the standout bowler for England, finishing with 2 for 31 from 19 disciplined overs.
There was concern for England late in the day as Woakes sustained a shoulder injury while diving to prevent a boundary. He left the field in visible discomfort.
With four days remaining, England are well placed to push for victory. India, on the other hand, face a steep uphill task to work their way into a competitive position.
