Pacer Gus Atkinson delivered a devastating spell on Friday morning, claiming a well-deserved five-wicket haul as India were bowled out for a modest 224 in their first innings on Day 2 of the fifth and final Test against England at The Oval.
Resuming on their overnight score of 204 for 6, following a rain-hit opening day, India had hoped to stretch their total and offer some resistance. However, those hopes quickly unraveled in the opening 20 minutes of play. The overnight pair, Karun Nair and Washington Sundar, who had shown some resilience on Day 1, were dismissed early in the session, triggering yet another familiar collapse of the Indian lower order.
Nair, who top-scored for India with a well-compiled 57, edged one to the slips, while Sundar, after adding just three to his overnight tally, fell prey to the relentless pressure from the English seamers. With their dismissals, the tail was exposed and offered little resistance, crumbling swiftly as the hosts asserted control.
The morning belonged to Atkinson, who bowled with excellent rhythm and movement. Exploiting the moisture-laden conditions perfectly, he consistently challenged both edges of the bat, finishing with impressive figures of 5 for 33 in 21.4 overs, a spell that included eight maidens. Atkinson’s relentless accuracy and subtle seam movement proved too much for India’s lower order.
Josh Tongue also played a key supporting role, claiming 3 for 57 in his 17 overs. The duo shouldered the bulk of the pace workload for England and made the most of the helpful conditions, dismantling India’s batting lineup with clinical precision.
Earlier in the innings, Sai Sudharsan had provided a promising start with a fluent 38 at the top, but a lack of partnerships through the middle and a tame lower-order display meant India failed to build on their platform. The total of 224 is now the lowest first-innings score in the series so far.
India will now be looking to strike early with the ball themselves, hoping to exploit the same early-morning conditions that troubled their own batters.
Brief scores: India 224 all out in 69.4 overs (Sai Sudharsan 38, Karun Nair 57; Gus Atkinson 5/33, Josh Tongue 3/57) vs England.
(With inputs from PTI)
