India vs England 5th Test Day 5, London weather: Will rain save Shubman Gill & Co. from defeat?

India’s hopes of avoiding another Test series defeat against England are hanging by a thread, and as we head into Day 5 of the fifth and final Test at The Oval, the team will be praying for rain to at least delay the inevitable. With England needing just 35 more runs and India desperate for four wickets (technically three), all eyes are now on the weather forecast.

Will rain play spoilsport on Day 5 of the Oval Test?

According to AccuWeather, London is expected to be mostly cloudy and breezy throughout Monday (August 4). The temperature will hover around 23°C, with 60 percent chance of rain, but only in the afternoon. So, the morning session is expected to go uninterrupted.

Bad weather already played a role late on Day 4 when England were looking strong at 339/6 chasing 381 and the match was abandoned for the day. Just when Joe Root (105) and Harry Brook (111) had put England in control with a brilliant 195-run partnership, India fought back with timely strikes . Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj bowled brilliantly and controlled the flow of runs.

When bad light stopped play, Jamie Overton and Jamie Smith were at the crease, and the new ball was just 3.4 overs away. Bad light forced the match to be stopped with England just 35 runs away from a record win.

What happened on Day 4?

Earlier in the day, Siraj and Prasidh had brought India back into the match with fiery spells. Siraj got the big wicket of stand-in captain Ollie Pope, while Prasidh dismissed Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell. Despite a fighting Indian performance, England’s middle order stood tall, and it looked like the match was slipping away until bad weather came to rescue.

The weather might once again play a role on Day 5, but a result is still expected. For Shubman Gill and his team, a drawn result would mean losing the series 2-1. They must win the 5th Test to level the contest and avoid yet another Test series defeat. However, India would need something special from their bowlers to snatch a win from England here.