On the most-bowler friendly surface of the series, England veered from the sublime to the surreal on the rain-affected opener to the fifth Test
Gus Atkinson set the standard for a revamped England attack on day one of the deciding fifth Test against India but injury and inconsistency among his fellow bowlers stopped the hosts taking control.
Atkinson was handed his first appearance of the series on home turf at The Oval, returning from a hamstring injury with little more than a club appearance for Spencer CC and one tune-up for Surrey’s second XI under his belt.
But in the absence of Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse – the captain out injured and the latter pair rested – Atkinson stood out from the crowd in an otherwise erratic performance from the hosts.
He took two wickets and swooped to run out danger man Shubman Gill for 21, with India scrapping to 6-204 in bowler-friendly conditions.
There was a late sting in the tail for the hosts as Chris Woakes suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder in the field.
His participation in the rest of the match looks highly doubtful, placing an even bigger burden on a fragile seam unit.
The injury is similar to that suffered by Australian quick Jhye Richardson, who first dislocated his shoulder fielding on the boundary in a March 2019 ODI against Pakistan, although Richardson’s injury was to his bowling arm, while Woakes has injured his left shoulder.
While Atkinson took the opportunity to remind the selectors what they have been missing over the past four games, bowling with pace and discipline for figures of 2-31 from 19 overs, with seven maidens, it was a different story for England’s other returning quicks on the most helpful surface of the series.
The recalled Josh Tongue turned in a perplexing performance, sending down a baffling pick’n’mix of wayward deliveries punctuated by two virtually unplayable balls that accounted for Sai Sudharsan and Ravindra Jadeja.
Both batters were undone by gems, speared in from round the wicket and seaming just enough to flick the edge. Beyond that he lacked any sense of control, frequently failing to make India play and sending down three separate sets of five wides.
Jamie Overton, back for a second cap three years after his first, was also wayward and lacked cutting edge as his 16 overs cost a leaky 66.
Although England’s position at the end of a rain-reduced day was respectable, they were guilty of making poor use of the murky clouds and a green-tinged pitch offering good pace and carry.
Stokes, Archer and Carse, all of whom spilled plenty of sweat on lethargic tracks, must have been cursing their bad luck.
Stokes’ stand-in Ollie Pope benefitted from Gill’s fifth consecutive loss at the toss and eagerly inserted the opposition as the floodlights kicked into action.
Atkinson was on target from the off at a venue he knows well, snaring Yashasvi Jaiswal lbw courtesy of a judicious DRS referral. It was Pope’s first ever successful review, ending a streak of 14 unsuccessful calls, and he celebrated just as much as his bowler after ending that sequence.
Woakes, the sole ever-present in the English attack, picked up a second when the dogged KL Rahul was drawn out of his comfort zone and chopped a cut shot onto his stumps.
But a lack of consistent pressure from Tongue and Overton allowed India to wriggle off the hook to 2-72 when showers brought an early lunch.
The teams did not get back on until 3pm and they were off for rain again less than half-an-hour later. But that slim window was all Atkinson needed to make his presence felt again.
He was bowling to India’s emphatically in-form captain Gill when a ridiculous attempt to steal a single presented an opening.
Sudharsan refused to be the sacrificial lamb and sent Gill back, allowing Atkinson to extend his follow-through, pick-up and hurl down the stumps for a gift of a wicket.
Gill had arrived at the crease on 722 runs at an average of just over 90 for the series – within sight of Sunil Gavaskar’s Indian record of 774 – and departed courtesy of a dreadful self-inflicted wound.
The weather eventually cleared to allow an extended final session and England picked up another three scalps despite continuing with their hit-and-miss offerings. At his worst Tongue looked well below the level but on two occasions he mustered something the great James Anderson would have been proud of.
Sudharsan and Jadeja, who did not know which side of the wicket the next ball was coming from, could do nothing but succumb. Atkinson followed up with a hard-earned second, Dhruv Jurel fencing to Harry Brook at second slip one ball after surviving a tight lbw shout.
Woakes’ injury, which saw him crying out in pain after he tumbled retrieving the ball on the boundary rope, left England with a headache to resolve as Karun Nair ticked off a calm 52no to nudge his side past 200.
“It doesn’t look great,” said Atkinson of Woakes’ injury, knowing it may well the returning seamer has to carry a heavy load this Test.
“It’s a big shame, in the last game of the series. I’m hoping it’s not too bad and whatever it is he’ll get full support from everyone.
“I feel fresh, I feel good. I know I’ve only got this one game to play, so I can push the limits a bit.”
