When India came on to bat in the final session of Day 2, many predicted that the same story of English pacers running down the gauntlet and picking quick wickets could be repeated in the 2nd innings at The Oval as well. But the script was reversed by India openers KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma. The two batsmen, who have enjoyed periods of good form in the series, played positive cricket and helped the visitors to 43/0 at stumps, trailing England by 56 runs.
The strong display from India top-order gave hopes that maybe India can find a way to take a strong lead on Day 3 and put pressure back on the visitors. Former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan applauded the two batsmen for their batting and explained why it can be difficult to bat in the last hour of a day.
“Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul's intent was really impressive. It is not easy for batters to play out that last hour. There is always that dilemma as to whether they must bat for stumps or keep playing their natural game. Often batters get confused in such a situation and lose their wicket as well. From that perspective, the Team India openers batted positively, played their shots, and showed great intent," Zaheer told Cricbuzz.
“If you look at the run rate, India scored at nearly three an over. Earlier, (when conditions were tough) they were leaving the balls alone. By playing positive cricket, Team India’s openers have sent out a strong message to England, that they are here to score runs and want to win the game. They will be looking to first go past the deficit and then set England a challenging total. The fourth-day or fifth-day pitch will then come into play. India need to remain positive on Day 3. This is a good wicket and if they can score runs, they can come back into a winning position," he added.
{{/usCountry}}“If you look at the run rate, India scored at nearly three an over. Earlier, (when conditions were tough) they were leaving the balls alone. By playing positive cricket, Team India’s openers have sent out a strong message to England, that they are here to score runs and want to win the game. They will be looking to first go past the deficit and then set England a challenging total. The fourth-day or fifth-day pitch will then come into play. India need to remain positive on Day 3. This is a good wicket and if they can score runs, they can come back into a winning position," he added.
{{/usCountry}}“This England team can be put under pressure. We saw it at Lord’s and, before that, in the first Test as well. Yes, Ollie Pope batted really well and could provide good support to skipper Joe Root in the second innings. I still feel this current England side is susceptible under pressure. India have an opportunity but it all depends on how the batters grab it," he signed off.