The 2nd day of cricket 5th Test at The Oval had it all — aggression, controversy, and a spirited fightback. England had blown hot after bundling out India for 224 in the first innings. Opener Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett bashed a 92-run partnership in 12.4 overs to put India on the backseat. Another typical Bazball onslaught appeared on cards as the Indian bowlers had no response in the initial hour.
However, just when England appeared to be sailing, Mohammed Siraj changed the course of the day with a savage burst following lunch. He quickly grabbed four wickets in an eye-opening spell while Prasidh Krishna assisted him with an additional three wickets as England went on to tumble down from 129/1 to 215/7. And as for Siraj: no one can ever match his energy and aggression, and his reverse swing kept England’s middle-order guessing. England collapsed from a position of strength to 247 for the loss of 9, managing a meagre 23-run first innings lead.
India’s second innings began brightly as Yashasvi Jaiswal bludgeoned a quick-fire half-century off 44 balls. While a couple of close shaves had gone his way, India started to ride on the pressure reversal due to the concentration on an aggressive batting approach from Malik. India were at 75/2, ahead by 52 runs and looking a lot more assured at tea. The tide had obviously turned and England’s bowling appeared a shade flat — with James Anderson not operating at full pace.
It leaves the match finely poised with all results possible. Siraj was slamming, and Jaiswal was playing with complete abandon, and suddenly, the comeback was on — the comeback that brought India so back into the game. We have three days remaining and the match hangs in the balance, so Day 3 should make for an exhilarating watch. Will India stamp its authority and press England? Will the hosts respond though? And sure people could complain but one thing is for certain the Anderson’s Tendulkar Trophy finale is walking the walk.
Source: https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/135191/india-tour-of-england-2025-5th-test-day-2-tea-report-mohammed-siraj-prasidh-krishna-the-oval-anderson-tendulkar-trophy-2025
