Former England pacer Stuart Broad has declared India as the favourites to win the gripping first Test at Headingley as the match heads into its final day. With England needing 371 runs to win and India just ten wickets away from sealing the victory and starting Shubman Gill’s captaincy era on a high, the contest remains finely balanced. Broad stressed that England’s hopes hinge on how well they handle the threat of the new ball on day five. He pointed out that India are slightly ahead as they only need ten breakthroughs to secure the opening Test of the series. “Surviving that new ball period will be vital for England tomorrow. India should be seen as favourites on a day-five surface. They just have to create ten chances and make sure they hold their catches. They have to be favourites,” Broad said on Sky Sports. After India were bowled out for 364 in their second innings, England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett ensured they finished the day without losing a wicket. Playing it safe and capitalising on loose deliveries, Crawley hit consecutive boundaries to take England to 21 for no loss, still needing 350 more runs.
Broad added that while England’s camp will believe they have the edge, it will be up to Shubman Gill to handle the responsibility of rotating his bowlers effectively to keep the pressure on the home side. “England will be backing themselves in the dressing room and will think they are favourites. Gill must manage his bowlers well. They have to come in hard and extract as much as they can from this pitch,” Broad said.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player?Meanwhile, former England captain Michael Vaughan offered a slightly different prediction, tipping the match to end in a draw. Speaking on BBC Test Match Special, Vaughan said that the outcome would depend heavily on how England’s batters handle Jasprit Bumrah early in the morning and navigate Ravindra Jadeja’s spin as the pitch wears further in the afternoon. Despite acknowledging India’s strong position, Vaughan felt the hosts could bat long enough to secure a stalemate. “It will come down to how England play Bumrah with the new ball and then tackle Jadeja later on. But I think it will end up as a draw,” Vaughan said.KL Rahul, who scored a gritty 137 from 247 balls, also shared his thoughts about the pitch conditions for the final day. He expects the surface to deteriorate further and play into India’s hands. “I think it’s an ideal day-five pitch for us to bowl on. It should be an exciting contest for us. At the start of the match, I thought it would be a good batting pitch and maybe end in a draw, but there has been enough wear and tear, so we hope the cracks widen and create opportunities for us tomorrow. The pitch has behaved unpredictably, and that gives us a chance,” Rahul told Sky Sports.
