India seized the momentum on Day 2 of the ongoing fifth Test against England, clawing back into the contest with a spirited bowling display that bundled out the hosts for 247 in response to India’s first-innings total of 224. By stumps, India had accumulated their lead to 52 runs, scoring 75/2 in their second innings on an exhilarating day at The Oval. Fifteen wickets fell on the second day as India fought back against England in this crucial clash.
After a shaky start to the series finale, the Indian bowlers found their rhythm to challenge the English batters. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna leading the attack set the tone early, bagging four wickets each to turn the tide in India’s favour. The day wasn’t short on drama either. Tempers flared in a fiery confrontation between Indian pacer Prasidh Krishna and England’s senior batter Joe Root.
Words were exchanged, and tensions momentarily boiled over before umpires intervened. Speaking after the game, Prasidh Krishna expressed surprise over Root’s response and also admitted to India’s strategy to disrupt Root’s momentum by engaging him in a verbal exchange.
"That was the plan, but I didn't expect the couple of words I said to get such a big reaction from him," he said.
"That's just who I am when I'm bowling, when I'm enjoying. If it means that I have a bit of a chatter with the batter... and it does help me when I can get under the nerves of the batsman and get a reaction from them. But I love the guy that he is. He is a legend of the game and I think it is great when two people are out there wanting to do the best and be a winner at a given moment."
Meanwhile, on day three, India will resume with their overnight score of 75/2 with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Akash Deep unbeaten on (51) and (4), respectively.