Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has weighed in on the high-stakes fourth day of the fifth and final Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test, suggesting that spin could prove pivotal if India’s fast bowlers fail to deliver early breakthroughs.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Karthik said, “India will have to do what they did in England’s first innings — 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 percent of the wickets.”
England will resume day four at 50/1, needing 324 more runs to reach a daunting target of 374 and clinch the series 3-1. Zak Crawley was dismissed by Mohammed Siraj on the final delivery of day three, giving India a glimmer of hope to level the series at 2-2.
Highlighting the key pacers for India, Karthik emphasized the importance of debutant Deep and Mohammed Siraj. “Seamers Deep and Siraj will have a big role to play. Deep gets the ball to seam away and looks like someone who can take wickets — if he gets his length right and hits that eight-metre mark,” he added.
England’s Love Affair With Big Chases
England have built a recent reputation for chasing down steep totals in Test cricket. They successfully hunted 378 against India at Edgbaston in 2022 and pulled off a 371-run chase in the series opener at Headingley last month.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri believes conditions at The Oval could add a new layer of challenge. “The surface has a lot of grass on it, so things will happen quicker. 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,” Shastri said.
Should England manage to overhaul the target of 374, it would mark their second-highest run chase in Test history and the highest ever at The Oval.
Mental Fatigue Could Be a Factor
Former Australia women’s cricketer Mel Jones raised questions about England’s mental reserves after a long and demanding series.
“Duckett has lost his opening partner, Crawley, who he feeds off. But England have four Surrey players — Pope, Smith, Overton, and Atkinson — who know these conditions well. The bigger challenge is whether they have the mental capacity to do it again after such a long series. They may just be a fraction slower in reaction time,” Jones noted.
As the Test nears its thrilling conclusion, all eyes are on whether England can script another historic chase or if India’s bowlers — pace or spin — can turn the tide in their favor.
