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The Oval Test has turned into a rollercoaster after a gripping Day 2, where 16 wickets fell in a single day. England gained the early advantage by dismissing India for a modest 224. Their openers, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, came out blazing with a rapid 92-run stand off just 78 balls, putting India under real pressure.
However, momentum shifted after lunch as India's bowlers fought back with intensity. Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj were the stars, each claiming four wickets to restrict England’s lead to just 23 runs. While Zak Crawley and Harry Brook contributed with half-centuries, it wasn’t enough to fully tilt the game England’s way.
India responded strongly in their second innings, taking a valuable 52-run lead by stumps, with Yashasvi Jaiswal hammering a quickfire fifty from just 44 deliveries. With three full days left in this tense battle, the key question looms: can India pull off a comeback win after conceding a first-innings lead?
History shows it's possible. One of India’s most iconic victories came at The Oval in 1971, when they overcame a 71-run deficit to win by four wickets, powered by Ajit Wadekar and a disciplined bowling attack. More recently, in 2024, Sri Lanka stunned England by eight wickets after trailing by 62 runs. The West Indies also achieved this feat twice at The Oval—in 1963 and 1988—chasing successfully after conceding first-innings leads of 29 and 22 runs, respectively. Australia’s remarkable 7-run win in 1882 came despite being 38 runs behind.
India's most recent Oval triumph came in 2021, when they secured a 157-run victory even after trailing by 99 in the first innings.
The Oval has long been a stage for thrilling chases in Test cricket. Notable pursuits include England’s 263-run chase against Australia in 1902 and West Indies’ 253 against England in 1963. India’s only successful chase at this ground remains the 173-run target they reached in their historic 1971 win.
With the pitch at The Oval becoming increasingly challenging, any fourth-innings chase above 200 is likely to test England’s resilience to the limit.
