"Jadeja firing it into the rough is the biggest threat" - Michael Vaughan
Former England captain Michael Vaughan notes Ravindra Jadeja bowling into the rough outside the off-stump could be the biggest threat England face on the final day of the fourth Test at The Oval. England have fielded six left-handers in their batting unit, and the rough has developed outside the off-stump for Jadeja to operate.
Jadeja bowled 13 overs in the final session of Day 4, but failed to clinch a wicket despite making use of the rough. Michael Vaughan lauded the technique displayed by England openers Haseeb Hameed and Rory Burns and outlined the threat posed by Jadeja. While speaking to Cricbuzz, he said:
"Rory Burns against Jadeja, with the ball spinning out from the rough, he showed great technique, and great character. That looks like the major threat from an England perspective, Jadeja firing it into the rough."
The surface at The Oval displayed some traits for spin, with Moeen Ali and Joe Root being among the wickets in the second innings. India only have Ravindra Jadeja as the lone spin bowling option at the moment among their ranks.
I'd go with Jadeja to start the day: Michael Vaughan
Michael Vaughan was asked about his approach on Day 5 from Team India's point of view. The former captain believes Virat Kohli needs to keep it simple and orthodox for the first half an hour of the day's play by starting with Jadeja right away. If that approach does not bring any kind of success, Vaughan feels that India may need to think outside the box. Vaughan added:
"I think Virat needs to keep it simple for the first half an hour. I'd go with Jadeja, without any question you start with your spinner. Try to fire it into the rough outside Burns' off stump. If it doesn't work for them, they have to realise that it is like a subcontinent style pitch and think outside the box. I'm looking for someone like Bumrah to bowl the slower balls. Those kind of deliveries will be very important."
England finished Day 4 at 77-0 by battling out the entirety of the final session. The fixture is well poised at the moment with the hosts needing 291 more runs to win the match while India need to claim all the 10 wickets to take a 2-1 lead in the series.