Lazy decision? Early stumps on Day 4 of Oval Test sparks debate
Former England captain Nasser Hussain also empathised with spectators who had packed the Oval on Sunday. He suggested the ground staff should have at least attempted to dry the field.'Everyone in this ground has paid a lot of money and it has stopped raining — get on with the process. Get the super-sopper out there. There are around 40 minutes left, so try as hard as you can to get back out there,' Hussain said on Sky Sports before the official announcement was made.The abrupt end felt especially harsh on India, who had gained the upper hand after dismissing centurion Joe Root and debutant Jacob Bethell post-tea. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna were steaming in and applying pressure to Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton before the weather turned.NOT IN OUR CONTROL: INDIA BOWLING COACHHowever, bowling coach Morne Morkel defended the decision, saying it was the outfield was quite wet when play was called off."It's pretty wet out there now. It was going to take a while to get the covers off. The groundstaff has been incredible throughout," Morkel said while talking to the press at the Oval."It was out of our control. Again, tomorrow, we can just focus on doing good warm-up and get the boys to bowl in the right areas and create a little bit of excitement."All eyes now turn to Monday morning. England are likely to opt for a heavy roller, which may flatten the surface and aid their pursuit — at least during the early exchanges. Meanwhile, India's bowlers will welcome a night's rest, having given everything in a high-intensity day.advertisementSiraj and Prasidh, both of whom have carried a heavy workload, bowled long spells across all three sessions on Day 4, pushing their bodies to the limit.While some within the cricket fraternity accepted the early stumps as a sensible decision, others lamented the lost momentum. There are questions over whether the same charged atmosphere can be recreated on Day 5, and whether fans will return in the same numbers for what promises to be a gripping finish to an enthralling series.England had resumed on 50 for 1, with India seemingly in control. The visitors made early inroads, removing overnight batters Zak Crawley and stand-in captain Ollie Pope. But Harry Brook and Joe Root turned the tide in England's favour.Brook, dropped on 19 by Siraj at the fine leg boundary, went on to score a blistering 100 off just 90 balls. He shared a 195-run stand with Root, who also brought up a century. Brook fell at the stroke of tea, handing India a much-needed breakthrough.advertisementEngland, however, were firmly in the driver's seat heading into the final session, needing just 57 runs with four wickets in hand. But India fought back valiantly. The wickets of Bethell and Root triggered nerves in the English dressing room.Just when the pressure was building and the contest hanging in the balance, play was halted — setting the stage for a potentially epic finale on Day 5.- EndsMust Watch
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Time of India
7 hours ago
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Indian Express
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12 hours ago
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