"Ravindra Jadeja is the biggest threat on The Oval wicket"- Moeen Ali
England Test vice-captain Moeen Ali is of the opinion that left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja will be the biggest threat for England on the final day of the fourth Test at The Oval.
Ravindra Jadeja got some assistance from the rough late on Day 4 and was especially causing problems for left-hander Rory Burns. With four left-handers in England's ranks, it will be interesting to see how they negotiate Jadeja's threat.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Moeen Ali explained that although Jasprit Bumrah is a world-class bowler, it will be Jadeja's left-arm spin that could cause the most problems for the hosts.
"Jasprit Bumrah is one of those bowlers that can make anything happen but Jadeja is the biggest threat on that wicket. It's such a flat wicket but we're still going to have to play well. India always fight back strongly and that's something we're going to have to be wary about," Moeen Ali stated.
Moeen Ali hailed England openers for returning unscathed on Day 4
After posting a daunting target of 368, the Indian bowlers had their tails up and looked to pick up at least a couple of wickets before the end of the day's play.
However, Rory Burns (31 not out) and Haseeb Hameed (43 not out) batted brilliantly on a wicket that had flattened out and added 77 runs for the loss of no wickets. Moeen Ali was pleased with their performance and hopes they will display more of the same on Day 5.
"I thought the boys batted excellently. We knew if we get through the first 10 to 15 overs, the two guys who are in are very disciplined. They've done it before in the series when they put on an amazing partnership, so hopefully, they can do it again tomorrow," Moeen Ali concluded.
England will need to bat out of their skin to chase down 291 more runs on Day 5. India, on the other hand, will also need to work hard to get 10 wickets on a pitch that has been a belter for batting.