India closed Day 1 of the fifth Test at The Oval on 204/6, with Karun Nair unbeaten on a defiant 52 and Washington Sundar on 19, as the pair added a vital 51‑run partnership for the seventh wicket. In swinging conditions that saw England’s seamers dominate for most of the day, their stand brought India back into the contest after a dramatic middle-order collapse.
The visitors had been reeling at 153/6 when Nair and Sundar came together. England had seized control thanks to a probing new-ball spell from Gus Atkinson and a decisive double strike from Josh Tongue, who removed Sai Sudharsan and Ravindra Jadeja in quick succession. The game appeared to be tilting heavily in England’s favour until Nair, making a return to the Test side, combined patience with counter-attacking intent to shift the momentum.
Nair’s innings was a reminder of his class. He played late to negate seam movement, trusted his defensive technique, and punished the occasional overpitched delivery through the covers. His fifty, brought up with a neatly timed boundary, was as much about resilience as it was about style. For a player who has spent years out of the international spotlight, the innings carried the weight of both personal redemption and team responsibility.
Washington Sundar provided the perfect foil. Known for his composure under pressure, Sundar absorbed deliveries, rotated strike smartly, and offered the kind of calm presence that allowed Nair to play more freely. Together, they blunted England’s momentum in the final session, forcing Ben Stokes’ side to rethink their approach as the ball softened.
Earlier in the day, India’s top order struggled in testing conditions. Yashasvi Jaiswal was undone early by Atkinson after a successful DRS review, while KL Rahul chopped on to Chris Woakes for 14. Sudharsan’s gritty 38 hinted at a rebuild, but Tongue’s incisive spell broke through, leaving India exposed. Ravindra Jadeja’s dismissal for 9 compounded the slide and put the visitors in danger of folding for under 200.
The fightback from Nair and Sundar has now given India hope of reaching a competitive first-innings total. With the pitch expected to ease slightly under forecasted sunshine on Day 2, the pair will aim to extend their stand and push the score towards 300—a mark that could keep them in the game on a surface offering enough for bowlers but rewarding patience.
For England, the opening day was a mix of positives and missed opportunities. Atkinson and Tongue impressed in tandem, showing the future of their pace attack is in safe hands. However, their inability to finish off the lower order allowed India to regain some ground late in the day.
As play resumes, the spotlight will remain on Nair and Sundar. Another hour of disciplined batting could turn this into a defining partnership in the context of the match and series. For India, their resistance has already turned what looked like a lost day into one that keeps them fighting at The Oval.