In a closely fought series decider, Karun Nair’s gritty unbeaten half-century on a tricky green-top surface guided India to 204 for six at stumps on Day 1 of the fifth Test against England at The Oval on Thursday. His innings came as other Indian batsmen struggled against England’s seamers in wet conditions at The Oval on Thursday. Rain interfered with play twice, and only 64 overs were bowled during extended sessions, taking the last session until 7:30 pm local time.
Returning to the XI following being dropped in the fourth Test, Karun Nair demonstrated huge calmness under duress. Batting on 52* off 98 deliveries at the close of play, Nair demonstrated his class with seven boundaries, one of them a gorgeous cover drive off Josh Tongue in the 38th over. He added a vital partnership with Washington Sundar (19* off 45), keeping India in the game despite top-order collapses.
Nair reminded everyone of his milestone with a few off Jacob Bethell, registering a personal best in what might be a career-resurrecting innings. “Barring the conditions, his unbeaten fifty is worth its weight in gold,” commentators observed, praising the batter who resumed Test cricket after eight years in Leeds.
Rain, Run-Out, and Resilience: A Session-by-Session Breakdown
The day began with cloudy skies and a green pitch that had a lot of seam movement. India saw openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (2 off 9) and KL Rahul (14 off 40) get dismissed early. Jaiswal got out to Gus Atkinson, who made his second-over breakthrough with a DRS success as the incoming ball struck the pads and was headed straight into the stumps.
India’s most consistent batter during the series, KL Rahul, was beaten by a short ball from Chris Woakes. Trying to cut a ball too close to his body, Rahul pulled it onto his stumps, reducing India to 28 for 2.
India gained some flow as Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan consolidated a partnership before lunch, which was taken early because of rain. Gill (21 off 35) played with panache, hitting a textbook cover drive off Jamie Overton and punching him through covers for four. He then pulled a short-arm for back-to-back boundaries.
Disaster was, however, after lunch. Gill, having done all the hard work, was run out in a strange style. He had tried a bold single off Gus Atkinson, who picked up the ball in his follow-through and knocked over the stumps with a direct hit, catching the Indian captain much short of the crease. Even after being dismissed, Gill accomplished something big—becoming the Indian captain with the highest (733) runs in one Test series, breaking Sunil Gavaskar’s record of 732 set in 1978–79.
England Bowlers Take Advantage of Conditions
When Sudharsan (38 from 108) and Jadeja (9 off 13) were dismissed by seaming balls bowled by Josh Tongue in the third session, England had India on the ropes. Two important wickets were taken by debutant Gus Atkinson, while movement was found by Jamie Overton and Josh Tongue, but occasionally they also lose themselves.
England were dealt a setback towards the end of the day as Chris Woakes, who has played in all five Tests, hurt his shoulder while in the field and walked off. His status for the rest of the match is doubtful.
With India closing on 204/6, everything will rely on Karun Nair and Washington Sundar to take the aggregate forward and provide the bowlers with a chance. On a track providing lateral movement and under difficult overcast conditions, Day 2 holds the promise of more riveting action in this closely contested series finale.
