An Oval classic

 

The final Test of the summer and it’s not even August (quite) yet.  England had to make changes, Stokes was injured so Pope would captain and Bethell came in at six, his part time off spin meant Dawson would have to step aside to allow four seam bowlers to be selected.  Woakes played again but joined by Tongue, Atkinson and Overton, the latter two coming back from injury, would they be ready?  For India Pant was injured, Bumrah dropped out, Deep came back and Nair found a way back in too.

Day one was gloomy with rain at times, Pope won the Toss and nobody questioned his decision to bowl first.  It was a funny old day with England’s revamped attack bowling some absolute garbage mixed with some unplayable balls.  Woakes took the first wicket Atkinson looked good and took two whilst Overton and Tongue were wayward although the latter snared a couple.  The brilliant Gill had a brain fart and ran himself out and the day finished fairly even with India 204-6.  But the balance may have been shifted by a bad injury to Woakes who would not be able to take any more part in the match, England would be a bowler light.

The second day began in similar conditions and the first session might have been England’s best of the summer.  Tongue broke through early and Atkinson polished off the tail to finish with five and India only added twenty runs.  Next Crawley and Duckett blazed away and England reached lunch at 92-1 and I was thinking ‘carry on like this and the series will be ours’.  Unfortunately the rest of the day saw some of England’s poorest cricket of the year and was frustrating listening.  Good bowling combined with a few daft shots and we were all out for 247, a slender lead which India soon over hauled this with Jaiswal counter attacking and England dropping catches.  The day finished with India leading by 52 runs with eight wickets left and probably slightly ahead in the game.  I couldn’t help feeling England had messed up big time today.

The next morning things went from bad to worse with more dropped catches, Jaiswal completed a ton and even the bloody night watchman got a half century.  India’s final innings of the series saw possibly England’s worst performance in the field in living memory.  In the fourth test the wheels threatened to come off for India but today they did come off for England.  Wickets did fall from time to time – Tongue finished for 5 for - but not often enough to prevent another fifty plus score from the brilliant Jadeja, Sundar slogged a few too many and England were set a target of 374.  This was how we started the series, trying to chase a 370+ score to win a Test match.  Six weeks ago I was confident we could do it but that was not the case today.  The openers started steadily and progressed to another fifty opening stand but no further!  Siraj removed the permanently inconsistent Crawley with the last ball of the day.

The fourth day and almost certainly the final one of the series.  Duckett nudged his way to fifty but didn’t go on, Pope got in and then out again as we see way too often.  But then Root and Brook came out after lunch and just batted sublimely pretty much all afternoon.  It was brilliant, both got hundreds and I almost relaxed but India roared back, dislodging both centurions and Bethell who looked like he knew he was out of his depth.  India were on top again but a sharp shower saw the players leave the field and there wasn’t time to get play started again today.  At the finish England needed 35 runs, India 4 wickets, assuming Woakes will have a go.  So we will have a fifth day as we have in every other Test match this brilliant series and going into it I was thinking it would be great if we had a tied Test match.

Who would believe an hour of this sedate and elegant game could render me a shaking, dribbling, stuttering mess?  Anyone who understands fine art at its pinnacle, or as we call it Test cricket.  In the final innings of the season England couldn’t win, then they couldn’t lose, then in the last two sessions they messed it up.  It may be harsh but in my opinion a couple of them bottled it, but they’ll come back stronger.  Chris Woakes didn’t bottle it, what a bloke and what a moment.  I hope it isn’t his last act in an England shirt but I fear.  India, led by the brilliant Siraj, took the four wickets they needed to win the match and level the series but make no mistake, England should have won this match.  Now the initial disappointment has settled I don’t begrudge India this win I just feel happy to have witnessed five excellent Test matches played by the best two teams in the world.  There'll be a bit more on that subject once I've got my breath back.