IND vs ENG Test series: Will rain spoil the fun of the Oval Test? Know the weather in London.
The decisive Test between India and England will be played at the Oval, where India has a mixed record. Amid the possibility of rain, the team will have to show strength in every department to win so that the series can be leveled.
Sports News: India is currently trailing 2-1 in the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series between India and England. In the fourth Test played at Old Trafford in Manchester, the Indian batsmen saved the match despite a poor start of 0/2 and a deficit of more than 300 runs and kept their hopes alive in the series. But if India is unable to get a result at the Oval, then this struggle may prove to be futile. The Oval ground has been a venue with a mixed history for India—where the team has registered some memorable victories, there have also been disappointments many times.
Rain Threat Looms Over Oval Test
With both the teams all set to take on each other in the final test, many are wondering what the weather will be like in London during the final match. Talking about the weather forecast for the first day of the match, there is a possibility of rain on the first day of the match. Also, there will be clouds for some time in the afternoon. Fans in London are also likely to see the match start late. According to the report, the chances of rain may increase to about 50 percent by 2 pm local time, and there is also a possibility of cloud cover up to 85 percent.
India's record at the Oval
India has played 14 Test matches against England at the Oval so far, out of which 7 have been draws. However, the worrying thing is that India has won only two Tests here—the first victory came in 1971, and the second victory came in 2021. Shardul Thakur's half-centuries in both innings in the 2021 win gave India a 2-1 lead despite a loss of 100 runs in the first innings.
India also played a neutral match at the Oval—the World Test Championship final against Australia in 2023. In that match, India had to face defeat due to Travis Head's century. India has recorded a total of 6 defeats on this ground.
India's best batsman at the Oval
The most successful batsman for India at the Oval has been Rahul Dravid, who scored at an average of 110.75 in three tests here and scored two centuries. Talking about the current team, KL Rahul tops the list. He scored a century in the 2018 tour and has scored 249 runs in two tests at the Oval. Rishabh Pant also has a good record on this ground.
He has scored a century and a half-century in two tests, but this time he is not available, and Dhruv Jurel will play in his place. The highest score at the Oval for India was made by Sunil Gavaskar by scoring 221 runs during the historic victory of 1971.
India's highest wicket-taker at the Oval
In terms of bowling, India's record at the Oval has not been very good. Ravindra Jadeja has taken the most wickets for India on this ground. He has taken 15 wickets in three matches, but his average has been 30.5, which is not considered very impressive.
Umesh Yadav performed brilliantly in India's victory in the Oval Test against England in 2021, taking three wickets in both innings. The best bowling figures by any Indian bowler on this ground came during the 1971 victory, when Bhagwat Chandrasekhar trapped England in a trap by taking 6 wickets.
