Going into the final day of the series, India has an opportunity to level the series, or if England manages to get the remaining runs, they will win the series. This is the first big Test for this young Indian side after the retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Former England cricketer David Lloyd opined that if there were the experience of those two in the side, the outcomes might have been different.
“India have been very impressive over the series, but they haven’t won the main moments. If Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli were playing, I think the outcome would have been different. Certain players sniff out the main moments and are proactive rather than reactive. Ben Stokes is fabulous at that. India will be scratching their heads thinking how on earth they could lose this 3-1,” Lloyd wrote in his column.
Lloyd also said that the rain break came at the right time for England, who lost three wickets in quick succession. “The break came at the right time for England because India were throwing the kitchen sink at it, and all of a sudden, the scoreboard stopped moving. India needs to be right on it because the ball is swinging. And just to add to the drama, the new ball is due in a few overs. Will India take it? What drama, what theatre,” said Lloyd.
Varun Aaron believes India can win Test
With both teams could win the final game from this stage, former India bowler Varun Aaron believes that India are now in a position to win Oval Test.
“Even a 10–15 minute extra break can do wonders for a team. It (the break on Sunday due to rain) gave the players time to regroup in the dressing room, talk strategy, and recover physically. I’m sure the message in the room was clear—‘We’ve worked too hard over the past 60 days to let this game slip.’ This team has travelled all the way from India and dominated large parts of the series. A series draw is the least they deserve. A loss from this position would really hurt. But after that spirited bowling spell post-tea, I genuinely believe India are now in a position to win this match,” Aaron said on JioHotstar.
