London: The Indian team spent a good amount of time deciding on their choice of pitch roller before play on the second morning of the fifth Test at The Oval.They had their last recognised pair in Karun Nair and Washington Sundar at the crease. After much consultation with experts at the ground, they opted for a light roller.India guarded against flattening out the surface, expecting England to use the heavy roller once they were bowled out in the first innings. India eventually lost the remaining four wickets inside 30 minutes.English openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley went berserk in the first 15 overs. India could only make a comeback in the Test in the afternoon session after a good two hours of play following the use of the heavy roller. That kind of set the template for the rest of the match. As much as the pitch was discussed, the roller became a big talking point.
“We’re trying to work out why (folding cheaply in the first innings after a strong start). Is it the heavy roll or is it the new ball that’s kind of skids on? When is a good time to bat? You can see Jaiswal come out tonight (Friday) and he played positively. We’ll see as it goes on,” England’s assistant coach Marcus Trescothick said after the second day’s play on Friday.The field set by India on the third evening was intriguing. They started with an inand-out field when they took the field to defend the 374-run target on a lively pitch. The pitch played tricks. Duckett and Crawley played their shots even as they looked unconvincing. But India ensured they didn’t get off to a flyer. The shots that fly off the bat behind square with the new ball were intercepted midway.
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As well as Akash Deep batted as a nightwatchman on the third morning, one could not rule out the effect of the heavy roller used before the day’s play. Subsequently, batting became a tad tough in the second session. The variable bounce was on show again. The English attack, overworked after losing Chris Woakes’ services due to a shoulder injury in the first innings, lost some zing. Again, Washington cashed in on the second new ball to help India set a challenging target for England.India followed the same principle on the fourth morning. A spread-out slip cordon with a semi-defensive field after England used the heavy roller before the start of play. But the emphasis was to not leak runs.As England launched a counterattack in the afternoon session, India would have been left with two thoughts—if they erred by using the light roller on the second morning, or if their strategies revolved too much around the roller used.
