London, July 31 (UNI) A rain-hit opening day of the fifth Test between India and England at The Oval saw only one session of play possible before inclement weather and a wet outfield forced an early halt. India went into lunch at 72 for 2 in 23 overs, with B Sai Sudharsan and skipper Shubman Gill at the crease.
Opting to bat first under overcast skies, India made a cautious start but suffered an early blow when opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed in the fourth over. England successfully challenged the on-field not-out decision by umpire Ahsan Raza, and replays confirmed the ball had struck Jaiswal’s pads in line.
Gus Atkinson’s delivery, which angled back into the left-hander, was enough to overturn the call via DRS, sending Jaiswal back for just 2 off 9 balls.
KL Rahul and debutant Sai Sudharsan steadied the innings with a brief partnership. Rahul, who looked in good touch early on, played a couple of crisp strokes including a boundary through midwicket. However, his innings ended on 14 when he chopped a back-of-length delivery from Chris Woakes onto his stumps while attempting a cut shot that was too close to his body. The dismissal left India at 38 for 2 in the 16th over.
Sudharsan, meanwhile, showed remarkable composure on debut. The Tamil Nadu left-hander played with a straight bat and timed the ball well, striking four boundaries- among them a delightful drive down the ground and a fine glance past leg slip. At the other end, Shubman Gill looked increasingly fluent as the session progressed. He played three classy boundaries, including a punch through the covers and a controlled pull shot off Jamie Overton that ran to the fence.
India reached the 50-run mark in 18.3 overs, aided significantly by England’s indiscipline with the ball. The home side conceded 16 extras in the short session, including seven no-balls and four byes.
At lunch, India stood at 72 for 2 with Sudharsan unbeaten on 25 and Gill on 15. Rain returned soon after the break, and the outfield quickly became unplayable.
