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ENG vs IND: Varun Aaron Backs India to Seal Oval Test on Day 5

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As the final day of the fifth and deciding Test at The Oval approaches, former Indian fast bowler and current commentator Varun Aaron believes India holds the upper hand. England, needing just 35 runs with four wickets remaining, ended Day 4 at 339/6 while chasing a target of 374. Despite the close equation, Aaron says the momentum has swung in India’s favourβ€”thanks to key dismissals and the timing of the second new ball.

β€œπ‘°π’π’…π’Šπ’‚ 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 π’‡π’π’–π’ˆπ’‰π’• π’ƒπ’‚π’„π’Œ π’ƒπ’“π’Šπ’π’π’Šπ’‚π’π’•π’π’š,” 𝑨𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒏 π’”π’‚π’Šπ’… π’…π’–π’“π’Šπ’π’ˆ 𝒂 π‘±π’Šπ’π‘―π’π’•π’”π’•π’‚π’“ β€˜π‘΄π’‚π’•π’„π’‰ π‘ͺ𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆 π‘³π’Šπ’—π’†β€™ π’”π’†π’ˆπ’Žπ’†π’π’•. β€œπ‘Ίπ’Šπ’“π’‚π’‹ 𝒂𝒏𝒅 π‘·π’“π’‚π’”π’Šπ’…π’‰ π’˜π’†π’“π’† π’†π’™π’„π’†π’‘π’•π’Šπ’π’π’‚π’ 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒆𝒂. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒍𝒍 π’ƒπ’“π’π’–π’ˆπ’‰π’• π‘°π’π’…π’Šπ’‚ π’“π’π’‚π’“π’Šπ’π’ˆ π’ƒπ’‚π’„π’Œ, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’†π’π’†π’“π’ˆπ’š π’‡π’“π’π’Ž 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π‘°π’π’…π’Šπ’‚π’ 𝒇𝒂𝒏𝒔 π’Šπ’ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 π’“π’†π’‚π’π’π’š π’π’Šπ’‡π’•π’†π’… 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’•π’†π’‚π’Ž.”

Joe Root and Harry Brook’s 195-run stand had placed England in control, but both batters fell during a spirited post-tea burst from the Indian pacers. Brook made 111 and Root 105, but the arrival of Jacob Bethell changed the rhythm. Aaron praised Prasidh Krishna for targeting Bethell and disrupting England’s momentum.

Prasidh-Krishna Strikes Key Blow, India Holds Nerve

β€œπ‘©π’†π’•π’‰π’†π’π’β€™π’” π’ƒπ’π’…π’š π’π’‚π’π’ˆπ’–π’‚π’ˆπ’† π’”π’‰π’π’˜π’†π’… 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆,” 𝑨𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒅. β€œπ‘―π’† π’†π’Šπ’•π’‰π’†π’“ 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐𝒐 π’Žπ’–π’„π’‰ 𝒐𝒓 π’•π’“π’Šπ’†π’… 𝒕𝒐 π’ˆπ’ 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 π’ƒπ’Šπ’ˆ 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 π’˜π’‚π’” 𝒏𝒐 π’Žπ’Šπ’…π’…π’π’† π’ˆπ’“π’π’–π’π’…. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’’π’–π’Šπ’†π’• 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 π’‡π’π’π’π’π’˜π’†π’…, π’ˆπ’‚π’—π’† π‘°π’π’…π’Šπ’‚ 𝒂 π’ƒπ’Šπ’ˆ π’π’‘π’†π’π’Šπ’π’ˆ.”

India’s resurgence was aided by a brief rain delay, which Aaron believes gave the team a chance to regroup. β€œEven a short break helped. The players could reset, recover, and prepare for the final push,” he noted. β€œThis team has worked too hard over the last two months. A draw is the minimum they deserve.”

Sanjay Bangar echoed Aaron’s views, highlighting the mental battle unfolding on the field. β€œIt felt like a wicket could fall every ball,” said Bangar. β€œAs teams close in on victory, the pressure often becomes overwhelming. That’s where India gained the psychological edge.”

Heading into Day 5, Jamie Smith remains at the crease on 2*, with Jamie Overton and a fragile tailβ€”including the injured Chris Woakesβ€”left to resist India’s pace attack. With Siraj (2/95) and Prasidh (3/109) ready to take the second new ball, the stage is set for a dramatic finish at The Oval.

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