England ‘pretty Chilled’ At Prospect Of Mammoth Run-chase In Fifth Test

Having won nan first Test by successfully surpassing a target of 371 successful Leeds, England will effort to triumph nan past and pinch it nan bid by chasing 374 astatine nan Oval If nan statisticians and bookmakers don’t fancy their chances nan squad themselves are not conscionable assured but “chilled” astir nan task they look connected time four.

“It is simply a replay from Headingley,” said Josh Tongue. “It will beryllium a awesome time of cricket and a awesome time for america if we get nan runs. How we play arsenic a batting portion is very affirmative and very exciting. The batting we’ve got, I can’t spot why we can’t springiness it a bully go. We’re beautiful chilled. Not overmuch overthinking astir it. I don’t spot why we can’t pursuit down these runs.”

England scored 50 of them crossed nan last convention connected Saturday earlier Mohammed Siraj bowled Zak Crawley pinch nan past shot of nan day, giving nan visitors a assistance successful their pursuit of a triumph that would necktie nan bid astatine 2-2.

“We are really confident,” said their second-innings centurion, Yashasvi Jaiswal. “We conscionable request to attraction connected our process and support bowling successful nan correct areas. That’s what we are thinking. There’s ever activity successful nan wicket, plaything activity and seam movement. It’s not that easy to bat.”

With Chris Woakes retired of action because of nan shoulder wounded he sustained connected nan opening day, England’s 3 remaining seamers had to carnivore an outsized load crossed India’s 2nd innings. Tongue took 5 wickets successful his 30 overs to decorativeness nan bid pinch 19 – England’s champion tally, and from only 3 games – while Gus Atkinson and Jamie Overton bowled 27 and 22 respectively.

“It was evidently going to beryllium reliable for america bowlers but I thought we stuck astatine it very well,” Tongue said. “I consciousness for illustration sometimes I didn’t vessel arsenic champion arsenic I could, particularly connected nan first time here, but I’m evidently very chuffed to get nan wickets.”

Jaiswal’s 118 was nan 19th period of a bid that has seen plentifulness of bonzer batting but nan only 1 truthful acold successful this match, while he shared a business of 107 – again nan only 1 successful this crippled to scope triple figures – pinch India’s nightwatchman, Akash Deep, who scored 66 and was, successful Tongue’s words, “obviously frustrating”.

“He played really well, playing shots and defending very well. I was conscionable reasoning astir really we tin build nan business arsenic agelong arsenic we can,” Jaiswal said. “So we were enjoying that, and we were having bully fun.

“It’s very important for each of america that we support pushing ourselves and this was our past innings here. I needed to support pushing. My mentality is ever for illustration that: deliberation affirmative and spell for my shots – but if nan business demands thing other I will bask that arsenic well. Always nan mentality is to spell retired location and conflict it retired and enjoy. Because successful nan end, I show myself that it’s a game, and we request to bask it. That is very important. We should person fun.”