Tensions, Stokes' fitness, Bumrah dilemma – talking points ahead of fifth Test
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the key issues ahead of the fifth match.
Will tensions spill over?
Relations between the sides have become increasingly strained, with a time-wasting spat at Lord's, some overly aggressive send-offs, plenty of sledging and the handshake row at Old Trafford. With just three days between games there has barely been a chance for cooler heads to prevail, and another highly charged contest must be expected. The team that channels their emotions best in the finale could claim an important edge.
Can Stokes hold it together?
England skipper Ben Stokes has had a wonderful series, including player-of-the-match performances in each of the last two games. But it is no secret that his body is creaking under the weight of his workload. He has already sent down 140 overs and faced almost 600 balls, with bouts of cramp and concerns over his knee, calf and bicep. It is almost four months until the start of the Ashes but the one thing England cannot countenance is their captain breaking down. Will anyone be able to stop him pushing himself too far?
Bumrah to go fourth?
India tied their hands unnecessarily at the start of the tour by repeatedly committing to the idea that the world's number one bowler Jasprit Bumrah would only play three Tests. The rationale, to prevent exaggerating existing back issues, was sound but the policy was always too rigid. Now they find themselves in a must-win situation with Bumrah's allocation already used. The temptation to bust their own guidelines will surely win out. If it does not, England's batters will be the ones breathing a sigh of relief.
One and done for Dawson?
Shoaib Bashir's broken finger led to a recall for Liam Dawson, eight years after his previous Test outing. The Hampshire stalwart struck early in the first innings but did not bag another wicket, leaving him with just one success in 62 overs. He was tidy but toothless for long spells and England may conclude that they are better loading the attack with pace and relying on Joe Root for occasional bouts of spin. It is a combination that some favour for Australia and now could be the chance to take a look.
Will the bowlers finally have their day?
The combination of unresponsive balls and flat pitches has made for a run-fest this summer, with all four matches going the distance as bowlers toiled away for long, taxing spells. In all there have been 18 centuries and a further 22 fifties. Might the Kia Oval finally offer a plot twist, with ball getting the better of bat? Surrey have been known to prepare greener surfaces and there is a steady pattern of teams bowling first to exploit early movement. Neither side have suffered a batting meltdown yet but the conditions for a collapse could come together in south London.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
21 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Part of the plan' to disrupt Root, says Krishna
India fast bowler Prasidh Krishna says it was a deliberate tactic to try and disrupt Joe Root when the pair were involved in a heated exchange on the second day of the fifth Test at The Oval. The exact words, which came when Root was yet to get off the mark and played and missed at Krishna, were not picked up by the stump microphones but the England batter was unusually animated in his response. Krishna, who took 4-62 as England were bowled out for 247 in their first innings, added that he was also taken by surprise by how it unfolded."It was the plan [to disrupt him], but I didn't expect the couple of words that I said to get such a big reaction from him," he said. "I love the guy that he is, he is a legend of the game. It's just when two people are out there wanting to be a winner and wanting to be the best in that moment."It was just a small thing, the competitive edge coming out. Both of us are good mates off the field and it was just a bit of banter." Tensions have been high throughout the series, which the hosts lead 2-1, but are in a tricky situation with India taking a 52-run lead into day three with eight wickets in hand after England dropped three catches late on. Before this Test match started, India coach Gautam Gambhir was involved in a confrontation with The Oval's ground staff, skipper Shubman Gill accused England of going against the spirit of cricket with time-wasting tactics and seamer Mohammed Siraj was fined for his send-off of Ben Duckett during the third Test at Lord' was involved in another strange incident before Krishna's encounter with Root, as Akash Deep dismissed him for 43 and put his arm around the England opener's shoulder as he walked from the pitch. "I don't think I've ever seen a bowler do that after getting someone out," said England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick. "You've seen them having words, we've seen it from both sides in this series. It was just different. "We've seen it in the series already that Ben doesn't do a great deal [in response]. There was probably no need to walk him off in that fashion but the game has been fought in good spirits, there have been some words and arguments along the way but the two teams are still getting on well enough and will continue to do so."Trescothick also acknowledged India's plan in trying to unsettle Root, who played fluently for his 29 before being pinned lbw by Siraj. "They made a comment, they tried to get after him and spark him up a bit. India tried a different approach and Joe bit back," he told BBC Test Match Special."Normally he laughs and giggles and allows things to happen, but today he chose a different route. Everyone has their own method of dealing with that sort of approach and today Joe bit back, that's fine - it doesn't make any difference." England's selection 'extraordinary' - Vaughan Having been bowled out in 51.2 overs with a lead of just 23, England faced a difficult evening session with an already depleted bowling attack having to cope without the injured Chris Woakes.A lively morning session saw Gus Atkinson complete a five-wicket haul as England efficiently mopped up India's lower order once more, but despite much-improved consistency from Josh Tongue in particular, the tourists were not drawn into making the same mistakes later in the day. They were also gifted some assistance from England in the field as Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is unbeaten on 51, was dropped on 20 and 40 and Sai Sudharsan was also put down before he was eventually dismissed by Atkinson for 11. Former England captain Michael Vaughan says that England also have not helped their case with their selections. Batter Jacob Bethell, 21, is making his first appearance of the series and made just six, having played one red-ball match in seven months. Jamie Overton, 31, came in as England were forced into bowling changes because of a shoulder injury to captain Ben Stokes, and with Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer needing to rest, but he has played only four first-class matches since September took 0-66 in India's first innings, made a duck and is so far wicketless for 22 runs from five overs - though the Sudharsan drop came off his bowling."The only thing I'd say on England's selection is they've picked people who have played no cricket and to throw them into this hot bed of international cricket, in front of this amount of people and so many watching on TV screens around the world, it isn't an easy game. "It is no surprise they that looked a bit vulnerable out there - because if you're not going to play cricket, you're not going to have your body used to playing cricket."If you're throwing a 21-year-old into this situation on the back of one first-class match in our summer, I find that absolutely extraordinary. I don't think you're giving a kid the best chance of succeeding at this level." Are England or India on top? Vaughan added that India were just in front of England in terms of the match position, and former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta was in agreement."At the end of the day its going to be about pressure and so far in this series this India side have handled pressure well, and it's been a long tour - one more innings to go. You have to keep everything else away and just bat normally."The pitch will get better, it's just about how you handle it. At Lords, it wasn't handled well, at Old Trafford it was handled very well by India." Meanwhile former England captain Sir Alastair Cook said: "I am going England as favourites. On the basis that everyone tells me that the wicket gets better on day three or four."
The Guardian
22 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Gus Atkinson punches ticket to Ashes as obvious key peg in England's attack
Don't talk about the Ashes. Don't talk about the Ashes. Don't. Talk. About the Ashes. OK. We can talk about the Ashes. But just for a bit, and only in the context of some quietly vital events in the opening session at a green and swampy Oval on the second day of this fifth Test. Two things happened here that will have nudged the dial, not just in this match, but before Perth in November and England's next one. The second of these was an hour of revivalist Bazball as Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley produced a wonderfully breezy 92-run opening stand in reply to India's 224. This was back to the source. It was Ur-Bazball, Bazball Classic, Mexican Bazball with genuine cane sugar – really the best Bazball, from some very handsome Bazball guys. The fifty opening stand from seven overs was the fastest for England in the first innings of a Test. Early on Duckett took 24 off nine balls, including an outstanding example of the Hedgehog Sweep, bunching his quills into a ball, rolling over, whirling his bat past his left shoulder. Crawley kept battering the ball through the offside with such noble and soldierly command you half expected to look down and notice he was batting in epaulettes and a plumed hat. It felt like a Baz-manifesto statement at exactly the right moment, timed to disrupt lengths on a line and length pitch. And for a Stokes-free England a sense, as the ball fizzed to all corners, of Stokes being utterly present, a giant head in the sky above the red brick pavilion, beard massive, eyes blazing. The second and more vital of the two vital things came immediately before this, as Gus Atkinson did an important thing without really seeming to do an important thing. He did so brusquely and methodically as ever, marking a pencil point, inserting a rawlplug of appropriate gauge and putting a first firm screw in the wall, the obvious key peg in England's attack come November in Perth. Atkinson was his usual bashful self as he raised the ball to the stands on his home ground after completing five for 33 to close India's innings. He has that studied anonymity, the look of the forgotten sixth member of a boyband, now grudgingly back for the reunion tour. But he made a decisive statement here, and at a key moment. It is easy to lose sight of the fact England don't really have a hypothetical first choice bowling attack right now. Who have we got then? What's the check-board? Archer: yes, hopefully fit. Wood: yes, who knows. Woakes: crocked. Tongue: fit, raw. Carse: fit, decent. Cook: don't think so. Potts: hmm. Overton: no. And outside of this, who knows? Another Overton? Sonny Baker? Eddie Jack? Jack Eddie? Promising Yorkshire quick Dougal Cakebread? At the end of day two at the Oval England do now have the only actual double tick. Atkinson: yes, fit and ready. And to be fair it probably was always Atkinson and four others. But was it really? Why was he playing club cricket? Why is he suddenly in Surrey Twos? What are the whispers about endurance, fatigue, dipping pace? Is Atkinson actually good? Is this thing for real? The five-for here was confirmation, first of that stellar early record, and second, just in the eye test. Atkinson looked so much better than everyone else here, all clean lines, simple, easy action, the whip in his delivery, the flick of the wrist. His pace was up at 88mph at times. Sign up to The Spin Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week's action after newsletter promotion Of his wickets Dhruv Jurel was a good, Aussie-facing one, a hard edge from bounce not lateral movement that flew thrillingly high to Harry Brook. And yes, Australia isn't really a thing you can masterplan, despite the fact England always try. Well, we need tall, very quick, hit-the-deck bowlers who can go all day. Good luck with that. We remember Boyd Rankin flailing about like a wounded wampa in Sydney in 2010. He was tall. Atkinson is more from the 2010 metronomic plus decent pace template. Although the real key to that series was that Australia weren't very good. For the second day in a row Atkinson found a lovely rhythm early on. He had Washington Sundar caught hooking at an 87mph bouncer. He padded the numbers with two in an over at the end, bowled and nicked off, having promised to go straighter. But it was well deserved having provided the only element of control on day one. He looked like a leader too. It is easy to forget how good his start has been, and how hard this is to do after just 21 non-Test first class games to date. His method looks transferable. He has skills, can bowl a yorker, can, crucially, seam the ball away from the right hander, a function perhaps of how high his arm is at point of delivery. Atkinson may lack the star power and extreme early-spell speed of Jofra Archer. But he also has the Test record Archer was meant to have by now. Late in the day India kicked off their second innings 23 runs in arrears. It was Josh Tongue who made the breakthrough from the Vauxhall End. By then Atkinson had already laid down his own marker.
The Sun
22 minutes ago
- The Sun
‘Dreadful.. why change?' – Football fans moan as Sky Sports unveil new scoreline graphic as 2025-26 kicks off at Luton
FANS have slammed Sky Sports' new scoreline graphic as the 2025-26 season got underway. The first fixture of the new campaign saw Luton face AFC Wimbledon in League One tonight. 2 But football's return to TV screens was ruined for some by the new look score graphic. Sky Sports have ditched the simple abbreviations they used for all EFL matches. And they have replaced it with a design similar to the one in place for Premier League games. Club badges are now included with the team's abbreviation below. A new font is also in use for the words and the time. The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
