Siraj, Krishna’s four-fers put India in driver’s seat at The Oval, lead by 52 runs (Day 2, Stumps)

LONDON: Four-wicket hauls from Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna and an attacking half-century from Yashasvi Jaiswal put India at the driver’s seat at the end of the second day’s play during the fifth Test against England at The Oval on Friday.

At the end of the day’s play, India was 75/2, with Jaiswal (51*) and night-watchman Akash Deep (4*) unbeaten. They lead by 52 runs. In their first innings, England had scored 247 in response to India’s 224. However, Prasidh Krishna (4/62) and Mohammed Siraj (4/86) bowled exceptionally well to deny England a massive lead and triggered a batting collapse.

The final session of the day kicked off with England being 215/7, with Harry Brook (33*) joined by Gus Atkinson, a capable lower-order hitter. After Atkinson dodged a tough 44th over by Mohammed Siraj, he was dismissed by Prasidh Krishna, who got his fourth wicket. A mis-hit from Atkinson was taken at mid-on by Akash Deep for 11 in 16 balls, with two fours. England was 235/8.

After a brief rain-break, Brook reached his 13th Test fifty in 57 balls, with five fours and a six. However, Brook’s joy was short-lived as Siraj cleaned him up for 53 in 64 balls, with five fours and a six. England was skittled out for 247 runs, with Chris Woakes unavailable to bat.

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They had a short lead of 23 runs, but a lead nonetheless. Siraj (4/62) and Krishna (4/80) were the pick of the bowlers for India. Akash Deep also took a wicket.

In their second innings, openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal gave India a solid start. Jaiswal smashed Atkinson for three fours in the third over, giving a statement of his intent to make amends with a single-digit score in the first innings.

Jaiswal continued collecting boundaries against Atkinson and Josh Tongue, but KL fell to Tongue in the 10th over. He was caught by Joe Root at slips for seven. India was 46/1. With a boundary by Sai Sudharsan past the man at leg-gully, India reached their 50-run mark in 11.3 overs.

During the course of the remainder of the day, Jaiswal was dropped by Liam Dawson, while Sudharsan was also dropped at slips and survived an lbw appeal. Jaiswal reached his half-century, his third fifty of the series in 44 balls, with seven fours and two sixes.

However, Atkinson got the wicket of Sudharsan (11 in 29 balls, with a four) towards the day’s end, with bad light putting an end to the day’s proceedings. They led by 52 runs. England started the second session at 109/1 in 16.0 overs, with Zak Crawley (52*) and Ollie Pope (12*) unbeaten.

Prasidh struck first in the second session, getting rid of Crawley (64 in 57 balls, with 14 fours) with a fine catch by Ravindra Jadeja at midwicket. England was 129/2. From then on, it was a steady decline for England. Prasidh and Siraj bowled extremely well in tandem, getting rid of Ollie Pope (22 in 44 balls, with four boundaries), Joe Root (29 in 45 balls, with six fours), Jacob Bethell (6), Jamie Smith (8) and Jamie Overton (0) quickly, leaving England wounded at 215/7 at the end of session’s play, with both pacers sharing three wickets among them.

At the end of the first session’s play, England was 109/1, with Crawley (52*) and Ollie Pope (12*) unbeaten. They trailed by 115 runs.

India kick-started day two at 204/6, with Karun Nair (52*) and Washington Sundar (19*) unbeaten. The duo started the day on a positive note, with Nair and Sundar getting a boundary each against Josh Tongue in the first over of the day. Nair did survive a leg-before-wicket against Atkinson, but Josh Tongue got him lbw for 57 in 109 balls, with eight fours. Tongue sprayed it down the leg side and well outside off, but the ball nipped back in sharply and beat the inside edge of Nair’s bat to crash into his back pad knee roll. India was 218/7, with the 55-run partnership over between the duo.

Sundar also holed it to the deep square leg in the hands of Jamie Overton, with Tongue getting his wicket for 26 in 55 balls, with three fours. India was 220/8. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna were done away with by Atkinson, who got his five-wicket haul. India was bundled out for 224 runs in 69.4 overs.

Atkinson (5/33) and Tongue (3/57) were destructive with the ball for England, never letting India settle with a massive partnership.

In their first innings, England was off to a fine start, with openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett putting on a masterclass in aggression. Crawley found plenty of boundaries against Siraj in the first five overs, while Duckett unleashed some carnage against Akash Deep, hitting him for three fours in the sixth over.

A ramp over the covers by Duckett at the end of the seventh over brought up England’s fifty-run mark. Duckett and Crawley also did not spare Prasidh Krishna, hitting him for some boundaries till Akash Deep got Duckett caught behind by Dhruv Jurel for 43 in 38 balls, with five fours and two sixes. England was 92/1 in 12.5 overs.

England reached the 100-run mark in 14.4 overs. Crawley also reached his 19th Test fifty with a four against Akash Deep in 42 balls, with 12 fours. Crawley and Ollie Pope ensured England lost no wickets until the session ended.

Brief scores: England: 247 (Zak Crawley 64, Harry Brook 53, Prasidh Krishna 4/62) vs India: 224 and 75/2 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 51*, Sai Sudharsan 11, Gus Atkinson 1/26). (ANI)