Former England captain Nasser Hussain says India is under tremendous pressure on day 5 of the ongoing second Test against England at Edgbaston. England resumed their innings at 72/3 in case of 608 runs, after the first hour of play was lost to rain.
India made 427/6d in their second innings, adding to their 180-run lead from the first innings. Shubman Gill top-scored once again with 161, while Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Ravindra Jadeja all hit fifties.
"There is a lot of pressure on India. You must think a lot of England to set them 600. If they get a draw, people will ask why they batted on so long, and people will ask whether Gill trusts his attack. I think he does trust his attack but today will show whether they can get those seven wickets or not," Hussain said on Sky Cricket.
Hussain also highlighted that England, once they resume their innings post-rain delay, must continue to play with intent.
"I think the focus is on (picking) the seven wickets rather than the target but also on how England play. They have very rarely been in this situation and openly stated they don’t play for draws. I think they need positive intent and not to go into their shell. You don’t want them just blocking but you don’t want recklessness either. It's about winning the series, not just a one-off Test," he added.
Mark Butcher, a former cricket player for England, said that rain should be seen as a moral triumph for Ben Stokes' team if it helps them secure a draw.
"I don’t think it takes too much of a shift of attitude for England (to contemplate the draw). You could look upon escaping from this game as a win in itself. England talks about being in the entertainment business — well, we can all remember entertaining draws, people on the edges of their seats with a wicket needed and three overs left, or whatever it might be. Are the fans going to be more entertained by you falling over in a heap or by you clinging on by your fingernails at the back end of the day?” Butcher stated.
"I think we know the answer to that. And I think it would be a massive feather in the cap of this team if they were able to do it. I also think that all the motivation England needed was India not declaring until late last night. They are giving you a gilt-edged chance to escape from here without losing a match that they really and truly should have been buried in. Use that to your advantage," he concluded.
Meanwhile, Akash Deep had success early on day five, as he removed both overnight batters by clean bowling Ollie Pope for 24 and Harry Brook for 23 runs.
