England cut back India to 204-6 in fifth Check with Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue in wickets earlier than Chris Woakes harm scare

An England assault shorn of Ben Stokes combined erratic and glorious bowling to cut back India to 204-6 from 64 overs on a rain-hit day one of many fifth Check as Chris Woakes suffered an enormous harm scare.

Woakes banged his left shoulder trying to chop off a boundary late within the day and headed off the sphere together with his arm wrapped up in his shirt as a makeshift sling, doubtlessly depriving the hosts of their most skilled seamer for the remainder of the sport at The Kia Oval.

Josh Tongue (2-47) conceded 11 wides throughout three deliveries in a wayward opening over earlier than returning within the night to nick off Sai Sudharsan (38) and Ravindra Jadeja (9) with unplayable, near-identical out-swingers from across the wicket.

England – 2-1 up within the collection and seeking to safe a primary victory in a Check collection of 5 matches since beating India 4-1 at house in 2018 – shipped 30 extras throughout the day, 16 of them wides, after stand-in skipper Ollie Pope elected to bowl on a moist, inexperienced floor.

At occasions it appeared the much-changed hosts – there have been 4 adjustments from the drawn fourth Check, together with the absence of Stokes (shoulder) and recollects for seamers Tongue, Gus Atkinson and Jamie Overton – would fail to capitalise on high-quality bowling situations.

However Tongue’s twin strikes as nicely two comeback wickets and a run out for Surrey’s Gus Atkinson on his house floor, as he returned from a hamstring harm sustained towards Zimbabwe in Might, left the house facet in a powerful place – Woakes’ harm apart

Atkinson, 2-31 from 19 overs, was the choose of the England tempo unit – an accolade Stokes had taken throughout the primary 4 Checks with 17 wickets at 25.33 – whereas Surrey team-mate Overton (0-16) went at in extra of 4 an over in his first Check since his 2022 debut.

India, nonetheless, handed 200 late within the day with Karun Nair notching an unbeaten 52 throughout a half-century stand with Washington Sundar (19no) and can hope to kick on on Friday morning, with their opponents wanting prone to be a bowler down.

Pope will get evaluate proper – finally!

It took Atkinson simply seven authorized balls to strike, pinning opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (2) lbw on evaluate after Pope registered his first profitable use of DRS as England captain on the fifteenth try following a dreadful time in that regard when stepping in for Stokes beforehand.

England’s evaluate confirmed that Atkinson had pinned each of Jaiswal’s pads with a nip-backer that prevented the within edge.

Sadly, the rain couldn’t be prevented.

Moist climate shaved the ultimate seven minutes off the opening session and returned half-hour after the afternoon’s motion lastly started at 3pm, main to a different delay till an uninterrupted remaining two hours and 45 minutes commenced at 4.45pm.

The second pause got here shortly after Atkinson had run out India skipper Shubman Gill (21) with a direct hit – the England fast fielding off his personal bowling and putting center stump because the vacationers tried a single that was by no means on and slipped to 83-3.

Woakes (1-47) – who has now performed all 5 Checks on this collection – had earlier compelled KL Rahul (14) to cut on to his stumps, securing England their second wicket.

After Tongue’s out-swing double within the night accounted for left-handers Sudharsan and Jadeja, Atkinson had Dhruv Jurel (19) – into the India facet for injured fellow wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant (fractured foot) – caught at slip by Harry Brook, one supply after the right-hander efficiently overturned an lbw dismissal.

Watch day two of the fifth Check between England and India, at The Kia Oval, reside on Sky Sports activities Cricket from 10.15am on Friday (first ball at 11am) or stream with out a contract.

England vs India – outcomes and schedule

All video games at 11am UK and Eire; all on Sky Sports activities