A torrential shower disrupted play on the first day of the fifth Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test at The Oval with an early lunch, leaving India on 72 for 2 from 23 overs.
B Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill, who were 25 and 15 not out, respectively, were at the crease.
Following a victory in the toss, England chose to bowl on what has been regarded as the greenest surface of the five-Test series. The move yielded early returns with them dispatching openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Still, Sudharsan was as gritty and composed, withstanding tough conditions to stay not out on 25 off 67 balls.
Gill, however, batted with purpose and appeared confident throughout his tenure. With his 15 not out, he overtook Sunil Gavaskar's record of 732 runs in one Test series by an Indian captain—achieved on the 1978/79 West Indies tour—creating a new record.
With the rain getting heavier in London, both batters will be required to restart and continue their job under possibly more challenging conditions when play is resumed.
For the English bowling attack, Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes took a wicket each. In spite of these early breakthroughs, the home team could look at their bowling performance as a whole, with Josh Tongue and Jamie Overton lacking the consistency. The wetter landing strip also appeared to be problematic for the bowlers.
Atkinson was the one who opened the attack with a full-length wobble seam ball that jagged in to catch Jaiswal leg-before. A nervous DRS review by Ollie Pope eventually swung the decision in England's favour.
KL Rahul subsequently added 28 with Sudharsan, both batsmen showing good sense of line and length. But mounting pressure after the drinks break persuaded Rahul to try an ill-judged cut off Woakes. The ball, up against his body, took an inside edge and rebounded into his stumps—he left for 14.
Sudharsan then changed gears, punching Tongue down the ground for four. Gill chipped in with a punch to the back of Overton to the fence. Gill continued to exploit Overton's short and wide deliveries with some boundaries, while Sudharsan earned applause for an exquisite straight drive off Woakes. But before the duo could settle, a sudden rain shower chased the players off the field.
Brief Scorecard
India 72/2 in 23 overs (B Sai Sudharsan 25*; Shubman Gill 15*; Gus Atkinson 1/7, Chris Woakes 1/28) against England.
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