India v England Oval Test - Day 5

Oval Test. Final day. Night. Coverage begins 8PM. Looking forward.

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Bleary eyed from staying up the last 3 nights. But match tantalisingly poised. Not to be missed.

Damn. Someone wants a skype call at 7.30PM. Can’t say no. Start with a half-focused mind on the call, before settling into it. Son is making dinner. One eye is on the clock. Fortunately, meeting lasts only 30 minutes.

As I sign out of the call. I make the comment – “India will likely lose this one”. Comment borne out of following Indian cricket for too many decades. After all, England are 77/0 and the wicket is flat. Never mind they need close to 300 today. And India have not won here after 1971.

I promptly get sledged – by my son, of all people. “You are not following the same Indian team as I am – where is your faith ?”. He is an Aussie team supporter and truly afraid of the Indian team. Says, I am talking through my hat.

Eat dinner. 30 minutes. England haven’t lost a wicket. Now 100/0. Run rate calculations are on. They need 90+ runs a session. At this rate, very well possible.

One thing I miss – Bumrah has sneaked in 4 overs for 3 runs. Kohli now has Shardul on. What are you doing Virat ? Don’t you learn anything – last test, when Siraj and Thakur released all the pressure.

First ball. Burns – 4. Second ball – 2 and 50. Virat – you are mad !!. Tension level up. Third ball. Nick ?? . Didn’t hear the nick. Faint edge. You beauty. Kohli – you genius !. 9 more to go – well no, 268 to go.

Another 7 overs – Jaddu and Thakur keeping things tight. Good move Jaddu bowling to left handed Milan. Then the brain fade from Hameed – down the track lofted drive to mid-on. And Siraj – “WHAT are you doing – how can you drop that one ?”

5 more overs, another brain fade – Malan back on his heels. Hameed takes off for the single. Malan goes anyway. Mayank swoops ( how do you manage to run with those ridiculous shin pads ?). Run out !! 2 down – 8 to go. Wait – 249 to go and Root is in. Looks like a million dollars.

Lunch – 131/2. India have kept them to 54 for the session.

10 PM – time to change and get comfortable under a quilt. Sky has the documentary on the Duncan Fletcher years on. I want to catch some sleep for 30 minutes before resumption. But the documentary is utterly captivating. Must watch again. Sometime.

Post lunch – Jaddu – first ball – Root reverse sweeps - 4. Jaddu – no ball. Man, can you stop doing that ? I mimic Holding – “that line hasn’t moved in a 100 years” – Family laughs. Intent from England.

Bumrah at the other end. I agree this is the best combination to start with. Nasser agrees on TV. I am about to doze off – look at the speed – 142 K first ball, 140 second ball, 144 third. Haven’t seen that from him in the last 3 tests – best I saw was 138. Last ball – reverse swing ?

Lying down thus far, I sit up. Intent translates to a wicket next Jaddu over. Hameed – bowled !! What was he doing – playing at a ball outside leg ? The ball is doing stuff – ok – batting ain’t going to be easy.

Root batting like a dream – Bumrah is laser like. Every ball honing down, laser like at the stumps. If not, on the 4th stump outside off. Sense something special building here. Reminded of the Dale Steyn spell to Sachin and Bajji in South Africa after lunch – that was in the middle of the night too for me.

Can Root and Pope do a Sachin and Bajji and weather this ?

2 more overs – Bumrah’s pace is searing now. His accuracy, relentless. Even Root seems to be a trifle later than he is. But that is relative.

Then, that ball to Pope – 142 K, bowled slightly wide of crease, the ball zeroing in at Pope’s toes – except it is slightly shorter than that. And he is an eternity too late – the stumps are a mess.

Jaddu – get your over done quickly. He does – 90 seconds – maiden. Bumrah back again.

Bairstow – first ball, moves away – beaten. Next – honing in on off stump. Johnny keeps it out. Third ball. I blink and see the mess of the stumps behind Bairstow. Wonder if Johnny did.

How is anyone meant to play that ? Cricinfo says “ inswinging at pace, and bursting clean through Bairstow's static feet” – fair description. Except – if you cannot see that ball on TV – you feel pity for the batsman.

Anyway – that is game, set and match. Good night.

That Bumrah spell

PS – I dozed in and out through the rest of the game