ENG vs IND 5th Test: Pacers give England early advantage on Day 1

The first session came to an abrupt halt after sudden wavy rain arrived at The Oval ten minutes before the scheduled lunch interval

The fifth Test of the 2025 Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy between India and England at The Oval, London, saw the hosts take an early advantage as their pacers, aided by a grass-covered, seam-friendly pitch, put the Indian batters under pressure. At the end of the morning session on Day 1, India were 72 for 2.

 

Earlier, England won their fifth toss in a row in the series and opted to bowl first on a surface that offered plenty for the fast bowlers. The decision paid off almost immediately, with Gus Atkinson dismissing the in-form Yashasvi Jaiswal (2) in the fourth over. However, KL Rahul and debutant Sai Sudharsan then steadied the innings with a slow but resolute second-wicket partnership, seeing off some sharp spells from the English pacers. 

 

At one point, Sai was knocked to the ground by a yorker from Josh Tongue but recovered quickly to keep the scoreboard ticking. England’s seamers continued to probe with inswingers and were eventually rewarded in the second hour, when Chris Woakes bowled KL Rahul (14) to claim the second wicket.

 

India skipper Shubman Gill then came to the crease and added another record to his name, surpassing Sunil Gavaskar as the Indian captain with the most runs in a Test series. Gill (15 not out) and Sai (25 not out) added an unbeaten 34-run stand for the third wicket, helping India stay in the contest before the session was cut short by a heavy downpour at The Oval.

 

India scorecard at lunch on Day 1 of the fifth Test: 

India 1st Inning
72-2 (23 ov) CRR:3.13
Batter	Dismissal	R	B	4s	6s	SR
Yashasvi Jaiswal	lbw b G Atkinson	2	9	0	0	22.22
KL Rahul	b C Woakes	14	40	1	0	35
Sai Sudharsan	Not out	25	67	4	0	37.31
Shubman Gill (C)	Not out	15	23	3	0	65.22
Extras	16 (b 0, Ib 3, w 12, nb 1, p 0)
Total	72 (2 wkts, 23 Ov)
Bowler	O	M	R	W	NB	ECO
Chris Woakes	9	0	28	1	0	3.11
Gus Atkinson	6	1	7	1	1	1.17
Josh Tongue	5	2	18	0	0	3.6
Jamie Overton	3	0	16	0	0	5.33