London, Aug 3 Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik believes spin might come into play for the visitors’ on a decisive day four of the fifth Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test if the fast bowlers fail to take early wickets.
With England requiring 324 more runs to complete the chase of 374 and secure a 3-1 series victory, India need to take out the remaining wickets to get an improbable victory and tie the series score line 2-2.
England will resume day four’s play on 50/1 after Zak Crawley was castled by Mohammed Siraj on the last ball of day three’s play. "India will have to do what they did in England's first innings and bowl a lot of pace consistently - but I do think spin will play a part. "Will it be a big part? It could be forced to if the fast bowlers don't strike early on but ideally the pacers should take 60-70 per cent of the wickets.
"Seamers Deep and Siraj will have a big role to play. Deep gets the ball to seam away and looks like a guy that can get wickets - if he gets his length right and hits that eight-metre mark," said Karthik on Sky Sports’ broadcast.
England love to chase big in Tests – they chased down 378 against India at Edgbaston in 2022 and hunted down 371 in the opening Test of this series opener at Headingley last month. "The surface has a lot of grass on it so things will happen quicker so if England get even close here I think they will have done twice the job they did at Headingley. They will have to bat out of their skins," added former India head coach Ravi Shastri.
If England manage to chase down 374, it would be their second-highest run chase in Tests and a record chase at The Oval. "I remember the run chase in Leeds at the start of the series and thought England could do it. There is just something about this team. The bigger the challenge, the more they puff their chests out and entertain."
"Duckett has lost his opening partner, Crawley, who he feeds off but England have four Surrey guys in Pope, Smith, Overton and Atkinson. But do England have the mental capacity to do it again after such a long series? They may just be a fraction slower in reaction time," added former Australia women’s cricketer Mel Jones.
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