England’s young pace sensation Gus Atkinson marked his return to Test cricket in style, trapping Yashasvi Jaiswal LBW in the opening session of the fifth and final Test at The Oval. It was a crucial breakthrough that gave England a flying start, especially in the absence of their regular skipper and series standout, Ben Stokes.
Ollie Pope’s review gamble pays off as England strike early on Day 1
The crucial moment took place in the fourth over of India’s second innings when Atkinson struck a major blow by dismissing Jaiswal for just 2 runs. A good-length ball angled in and seamed back off the pitch, sneaking past Jaiswal’s bat and thudding into the pads. Initially, there was confusion due to two pad sounds, leading to hesitation in reviewing. But Ollie Pope took the chance, and the review revealed a clear gap between bat and pad — HawkEye showed all three reds. The dismissal brought joy in the England camp, as Stokes clapped and Pope celebrated with a fist pump. Jaiswal registered his 6th single digit core in the series out of the 9 innings raising serious concerns in the camp.
Here’s the video:
Ollie Pope 🤝 DRS
🇮🇳 1️⃣0️⃣-1️⃣ pic.twitter.com/VyX4061MvH
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 31, 2025
KL Rahul and Sai Sudharsan navigate the tough first hour of the Oval Test
Indian batters survived a testing first hour on a green top under heavy cloud cover as KL Rahul and Sai Sudharsan displayed commendable composure, ensuring no further damage after the early loss of Yashasvi Jaiswal. They were put under immense pressure by fiery spells from Atkinson and Josh Tongue, who extracted movement and bounce to keep the batters on edge. Rahul, continuing his consistent form from earlier in the series, looked solid in defence and confident in leaving balls outside off. He blocked out the threatening deliveries with poise, showing great awareness. Sudharsan, on the other hand, looked slightly tentative, frequently beaten and struggling to find the middle of the bat. By the end of the 15th over, India were 38 for the loss of Jaiswal.
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