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London, Aug 3 (IANS) Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik believes spin might come into play for the visitors’ on a decisive day four of the fifth Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test if the fast bowlers fail to take early wickets.

With England requiring 324 more runs to complete the chase of 374 and secure a 3-1 series victory, India need to take out the remaining wickets to get an improbable victory and tie the series score line 2-2.

England will resume day four’s play on 50/1 after Zak Crawley was castled by Mohammed Siraj on the last ball of day three’s play. “India will have to do what they did in England’s first innings and bowl a lot of pace consistently – but I do think spin will play a part. “Will it be a big part? It could be forced to if the fast bowlers don’t strike early on but ideally the pacers should take 60-70 per cent of the wickets.

“Seamers Deep and Siraj will have a big role to play. Deep gets the ball to seam away and looks like a guy that can get wickets – if he gets his length right and hits that eight-metre mark,” said Karthik on Sky Sports’ broadcast.

England love to chase big in Tests – they chased down 378 against India at Edgbaston in 2022 and hunted down 371 in the opening Test of this series opener at Headingley last month. “The surface has a lot of grass on it so things will happen quicker so if England get even close here I think they will have done twice the job they did at Headingley. They will have to bat out of their skins,” added former India head coach Ravi Shastri.

If England manage to chase down 374, it would be their second-highest run chase in Tests and a record chase at The Oval. “I remember the run chase in Leeds at the start of the series and thought England could do it. There is just something about this team. The bigger the challenge, the more they puff their chests out and entertain.”

“Duckett has lost his opening partner, Crawley, who he feeds off but England have four Surrey guys in Pope, Smith, Overton and Atkinson. But do England have the mental capacity to do it again after such a long series? They may just be a fraction slower in reaction time,” added former Australia women’s cricketer Mel Jones.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 18 (IANS) Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has weighed in on finger taping after a costly dropped catch in the ongoing Test series against England. According to Kaif, excessive taping could be doing more harm than good — dulling a fielder’s natural grip.

India’s catching has been a major concern in the series. The hosts spilled as many as eight chances in the series opener which proved costly as they lost the match by 5 wickets.

Ollie Pope was dropped on 60 and went on to make 106. Similarly, Ben Duckett got a lifeline on 15 and scored 62. Also, in the third Test, KL Rahul dropped Jamie Smith at second slip and the batter went on to score 51 also stitching 87-run ninth wicket stand with Brydon Crase (56) in the first innings.

“I’m not a big fan of heavy taping. Your fingers go numb, and you lose flexibility. When you tape heavily, it thickens the area. When the ball hits, the tape acts like a sponge — it softens the impact, and the ball tends to pop out,” Kaif told IANS.

Kaif also admitted to a more old-school technique. “When I used to field, I’d use saliva — I’d spit on my hands to help the ball stick better. Fielding is about accepting pain. You can’t avoid it — you have to bear it,” he said.

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal had dropped four crucial catches against England in the series opener in Leeds which cost India dearly as England chase down 371 runs on the final day to seal the win.

“Jaiswal is a good fielder — we’ve seen it in the IPL and in Tests. But with too many layers on the fingers, you lose natural grip and feel. That likely contributed to the dropped catch,” Kaif noted.

The former cricketer further reflected on India’s fielding and said it was overall decent, but also noted that dropping catches can swing the momentum of the game.

“Overall, India’s fielding was decent. There were a few misfields and dropped catches — but that happens in every series. Karun Nair really impressed me — strong hands, clean catching, and excellent technique. Rishabh Pant’s absence was felt. A fully fit Pant would’ve made a big difference behind the stumps.

“Jaiswal dropped a crucial catch in the final match — it came at a turning point. Moments like these can swing games. Still, the catching was fairly solid. Both Shubman Gill and KL Rahul took some sharp ones,” he said.

–IANS

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