IND vs ENG 5th Test Highlights Day 1: Karun Nair hits his first fifty of series as India get past 200 at stumps

India vs England 5th Test Highlights Day 1 IND vs ENG: Karun Nair registered his first fifty of the series, playing a crucial role in guiding India to 206/6 by stumps and anchoring the innings through a testing phase. Nair is still unbeaten on 52, alongside Washington Sundar, who looked solid during his 45-ball 19*. Dhruv Jurel fell to a loose shot, handing away his wicket just when India needed stability. His dismissal adds to India's woes as they slip further into trouble. Josh Tongue delivered another unplayable delivery, this time to dismiss Ravindra Jadeja for 9. The ball swung in sharply, leaving Jadeja with little room to react as it took the edge and flew to the keeper. A brilliant spell from Tongue, and another major blow for India....Read More

Earlier, an absolute gem from Tongue did the trick as Sai Sudharsan (38) edged one through to Jamie Smith behind the stumps. The delivery jagged back in sharply, kissed the inside edge of Sudharsan’s bat, and carried cleanly to the keeper. Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair returned to the crease after the rain break, resuming India’s innings with renewed focus. The pair looked to steady the ship and get the innings back on track, navigating challenging conditions with measured intent. Rain forced an early Tea break on Day 1 after just 29 overs of play at The Oval, disrupting what had been a cautious rebuilding effort from India. Persistent drizzle and a damp outfield kept players off the field for an extended period, limiting any real momentum. However, the latest update confirms that play is scheduled to resume at 9:00 PM IST, provided there are no further interruptions. Shubman Gill’s promising innings was cut short on 21 following a misjudged single that led to a costly run-out, leaving the India captain visibly distraught. To make matters worse, the rain has returned once again, forcing another halt in play as the frustrating stop-start pattern continues at The Oval.

Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan recalibrated their approach after the rain break, taking time to gauge the changed conditions before settling back into their innings. The official update brought good news for fans — play is scheduled to resume at 7:30 PM IST at The Oval, weather permitting. The ground staff have been working tirelessly to get the outfield ready after the earlier rain interruption. Just moments after Shubman Gill surpassed Sunil Gavaskar’s 47-year-old record, heavy rain lashed The Oval, bringing play to a halt. India are 72/2 as early lunch has been taken at the Oval. Chris Woakes brought an end to KL Rahul’s gritty knock, getting him out for 14 off 40 deliveries.

Earlier, Rahul, who had been focused on steadying the innings after an early setback, chopped it onto the stumps. KL Rahul and Sai Sudharsan steadied India’s innings with a composed partnership, capitalising on a brief dip in intensity from England to shift momentum back in the visitors’ favour. Yashasvi Jaiswal fell cheaply for just two runs as England capitalised on the overcast conditions to apply early pressure on the Indian top order. India made four changes to their playing XI for the final Test, yet Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh continued to miss out, remaining on the sidelines. Meanwhile, England won the toss and chose to bowl first, hoping to make early inroads under favourable conditions. Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Shardul Thakur and Anshul Kamboj were replaced in India's XI by Karun Nair, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep and Dhruv Jurel.

A long summer of Test match cricket comes down to this: a decisive fifth Test match of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy between England and India, with the hosts leading the series 2-1 but India having the chance to retain to rotating trophy once again for a fourth series in a row, only if they can find a win.

It is therefore a beautifully simple equation as we head to the Kia Oval in London for the last match of this enthralling series, and it’s only right that the series is this tight and undecided heading to the fifth match: all four matches thus far have reached the fifth day with things in the balance, most of those matches being there for the win for either team.

With key players missing, batters in top form, and plenty of drama in the lead-up to this match as tempers erupted on and off the pitch, the stage is set for a chaotic and enthralling end to the series for Shubman Gill and his team. Thanks to third innings centuries from his bat in conjunction with Washington Sundar (batting at number 5) and Ravindra Jadeja, India rescued a dire situation in Manchester.

Add to this the response Jadeja and Sundar faced late in the day from the England players as they tried to reach their respective centuries, and it cut a figure of a home team frustrated, tired, and a little mentally drained from how much Gill’s young Indian team was pushing them. India are unlucky to be down in this series, with spurts of bad cricket being their undoing — but at the moment, it feels like they have the momentum just a touch in their favour, and that could prove to be significant.

However, India will miss their best player and their talismanic fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who they have been able to rely on for spectacular performances. However, there are some who see this as a blessing in disguise: not having Bumrah to rely on seems to bring the ebay out of India’s other seamers, and with the pacer off his best in Manchester and clearly struggling physically, giving him a rest for a fresher bowler might just prove to be more helpful than Indian fans want to admit.

But India are not the only ones struggling with injury. Across the divide is an England team who will be without their terrific leader, the man who has shouldered the burden to take responsibility and lead from the front, and injured that shoulder in the process. Ben Stokes’ importance to the English team cannot be understated: not only is he the forward-thinking captain that is essential for the Bazball approach to work, but was also making a massive difference with ball as he took telling wickets that had huge impact on every game.

Along with Stokes, Jofra Archer is also missing, meaning there are a series of changes as England try to find the right balance for this match, where they will be captained by Ollie Pope. India’s team plans, meanwhile, remain uncertain, with changes certain to happen but with various players battling it out for very few spots. A debut for Arshdeep Singh, a chance for Kuldeep Yadav, or sticking with the tried-and-tested method used by coach Gautam Gambhir thus far in his young Test match tenure?

India vs England 5th Test Day 1 Highlights and Updates:

- India 204/6 (Karun Nair 52*, Washington Sundar 19*; Gus Atkinson 2/31) at Stumps on Day 1 vs England at The Oval.

- Josh Tongue dismissed Sai Sudharsan and Ravindra Jadeja in quick succession to break India's back.

- Shubman Gill’s innings came to a disappointing end on 21 after a poorly judged single led to a disastrous run-out.

- Rain forced early Lunch at the Oval as India 72/2 with Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan still in the middle.

- India lost their openers cheaply in the first session with Jaiswal dismissed for 2 and Rahul getting bamboozled on 14.

- India made four changes to their XI as Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Shardul Thakur and Anshul Kamboj were replaced by Karun Nair, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep and Dhruv Jurel.

- England stand-in skipper Ollie Pope won the toss and elected to bowl first against India at the Oval.

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