IND vs ENG 2021: What happened the last time India played a Test at Oval?

Last week, Team India suffered a humiliating innings defeat in the third Test at Headingley after their batters were left exposed by some sharp, disciplined bowling by the hosts.

The Virat Kohli-led side will now be looking to make a strong comeback in the fourth Test, which commences on September 2 at The Oval. The series is currently level at 1-1.

The visitors have already arrived in London. They might consider making a couple of changes by benching players who have looked woefully out of form.

England have included all-rounder Chris Woakes in the squad, along with Sam Billings. Woakes may replace Sam Curran in the playing XI at The Oval.

September 11, 2018: England beat India by 118 runs at The Oval

India last played England at The Oval in the fifth Test of the 2018 tour. The hosts had an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series going into the game.

England skipper Joe Root won the toss and elected to bat first. Alastair Cook (71) and Moeen Ali (50) played well in the top order and gave England a decent platform.

India made some crucial inroads by removing both Root and Jonny Bairstow without scoring. Jos Buttler (89) then played a counter-attacking knock to take the home team to 332 in the first innings.

Ravindra Jadeja (4/79), Ishant Sharma (3/62), and Jasprit Bumrah (3/83) shared the spoils. India scored 292 in their first innings and conceded a lead of 40 runs.

KL Rahul (37), Cheteshwar Pujara (37), Virat Kohli (49), and Hanuma Vihari (56) all got starts, but a substantial innings eluded them. Jadeja (86*) was India’s top scorer.

In their second innings, England piled on the pressure and declared with the score at 423/8. Cook’s splendid 147 in his farewell innings was a key highlight.

Joe Root (125) also scored a century to take his side to a commanding position in the Test.

Team India began the final innings with a 464-run target. Most of their batters succumbed to the pressure of the scoreboard as India were reduced to 121/5. Kohli and Pujara perished without troubling the scorers.

However, KL Rahul (149) and Rishabh Pant (114) joined forces and stitched a marathon 204-run partnership for the sixth wicket to give India hope.

But leg-spinner Adil Rashid(2/63) dismissed both of them and brought the curtains down on the chance of an unlikely Indian victory. India were dismissed for 345 and lost the match by 118 runs.

About the author

Balakrishna has been a cricket writer at Sportskeeda for almost seven years. A sport that he has been following and playing since he was eight, Balakrishna enjoys the intensity of the sport, skills and strategies applied to get a result out of nowhere, and the thrill that it gives. He also played as a medium pace bowling all-rounder in four inter-college tournaments, winning twice.

Balakrishna’s all-time favorite cricketers are Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma. He admires Sachin’s stellar performances against legendary bowlers, along with his discipline and humility. Meanwhile, he is a big fan of how Rohit turned around his initial struggles to build a successful career.

He avidly supports Team India and 2016 IPL winners SunRisers Hyderabad. The first World Cup that Balakrishna ever saw was the 2003 World Cup, when Australia comprehensively triumphed over India in the final.

While working, he ensures he only uses reliable sources and provides relevant, ethical, and accurate information. When not working, Balakrishna enjoys playing table tennis and reading non-fiction books.

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