During a rain break in the fifth Test between India and England, former England captain Michael Vaughan playfully mocked The Oval’s head curator, Lee Fortis, on air. This followed a confrontation between India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, and Fortis regarding pitch usage. Vaughan’s light-hearted mimicry added a humorous layer to the already tense atmosphere surrounding the final Test match.
Former captain Sourav Ganguly has downplayed the recent heated exchange between India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir and Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis, emphasising that such disagreements are common in cricket. The incident, where Gambhir was reportedly upset about pitch access, follows a series of tense moments in the India-England series.
Abhimanyu Easwaran’s wait for his India Test debut extends to 961 days, sparking criticism from his father, Ranganathan, and former coach Arun Lal. Despite consistent performances, Easwaran was overlooked for the fifth Test against England, while Karun Nair received a chance. Ranganathan expressed his son’s disappointment, questioning selection criteria favoring IPL performances over Ranji Trophy success.
Former England captain Michael Atherton has cautioned that Gautam Gambhir’s position as India’s head coach could be in jeopardy if the team suffers a third consecutive Test series loss. Team India is currently trailing 1-2 against England, and Atherton emphasised the immense pressure to win that comes with leading the Indian team, given their resources and expectations.
Mohammed Siraj achieves a rare feat, joining Kapil Dev and Vinoo Mankad as the only Indian bowlers to play all five Tests of an overseas series thrice, securing 10 or more wickets each time. As India trail 2-1 against England, Siraj’s 14 wickets so far makes him a key player in the crucial final Test at The Oval.
Sourav Ganguly has criticised India’s decision to exclude Kuldeep Yadav from the Test series against England, arguing that his quality spin was needed to take wickets on the flatter pitches, especially during the second, third, and fourth Tests.
During the India versus England Test match, Sunil Gavaskar expressed his desire to have Jasprit Bumrah and Ben Stokes in his past team. He felt Bumrah and Kapil Dev would make a great bowling duo. Cheteshwar Pujara wished he had Gavaskar as an opener. India reached 72 for 2 before rain interrupted play.
Sai Sudharsan showcased solid batting during the fifth Test’s opening session. Nasser Hussain praised his technique after an impressive drive. India reached 72/2 at lunch, with Sudharsan unbeaten. England’s bowling lacked consistency, failing to capitalize on early wickets. Atkinson impressed with pace, but overall, England sought more breakthroughs. Rain interrupted play, leaving the session balanced.
Sunil Gavaskar criticized the green pitch at The Oval, suggesting it was designed to compensate for England’s weakened bowling attack due to the absence of key players like Stokes and Archer. England made four changes, while India also made four, including bringing back Akash Deep and Karun Nair.
