Former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu believes England has a slight upper hand heading into the final day of the fifth Test against India as well. Chasing 374, England ended Day 4 at 339/6 in 76.2 overs before rain stopped play. England still need 35 runs to win, with Jamie Smith (2) and Jamie Overton (0) at the crease.
On Monday, August 4, ahead of Day 5’s play, Sidhu said in his YouTube channel (@NavjotSidhuOfficial): “India now has to take about four wickets for 35 runs, and the biggest factor is that the new ball is due. The new ball will be available in four overs, which is a very encouraging sign. At the moment, the match is still 60-40 in England’s favor.”
“But dismissing Joe Root is a huge moment. If that set batsman had stayed, I would have put the odds at 75-25 in England’s favor. Now that Joe Root is out, if Jamie Smith is dismissed early tomorrow morning, then in this pressure situation, whether it’s Woakes, who is injured, Overton, or any other batter you put in, with the pressure of saving the match, it becomes very difficult to survive. Given the kind of bowling we have seen, I felt that if India had three fully fit bowlers, then chasing 374 in the fourth innings at The Oval, where there are divots and the ball is moving around, should not have been possible. But it still has not been done. There is still a chance,” he further added.
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“And I feel that if India gets a wicket in the first five overs tomorrow morning, they are completely back in the game. Right now, the match is still tilted in England’s favor, but India can make a full comeback. That one hour of play tomorrow morning is going to be crucial. It is a decisive battle. This is the moment of reckoning. It will determine the future of Indian cricket,” he shared.
However, Navjot Singh Sidhu also added that had Mohammed Siraj safely taken the catch to dismiss Harry Brook when he was batting at 19, the match could have become one-sided by now.
“But if I assess things, the way catches have been dropped, today again DSP dropped a catch. If he had taken that catch of Harry Brook at that moment, the match could have become one-sided. He caught the ball but did not realize he was near the boundary. When I see catches being dropped and compromises being made in bowling, I feel like no one deserves to win this series. A 2-2 result would be a fitting end because neither side truly deserves to win. I am being very honest when I say this,” Navjot Singh Sidhu concluded.
