London, Aug 1 (NationPress) Former head coach Ravi Shastri emphasizes that for India to regain their footing in the ongoing fifth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series at The Oval, they must concentrate on adhering to a precise line and length to exert pressure from both ends. As lunch approached, England had scored 109/1 in 16 overs, trailing India by 115 runs, with Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope not out at 52 and 12, respectively. Crawley had also formed a solid 92-run opening partnership with Ben Duckett, who contributed a brisk 43, while India's pace attack struggled to find their rhythm, conceding an astonishing 21 boundaries.

"The game has progressed, and India has been overwhelmed. They lost four wickets for just 20 runs, while England scored rapidly. This is concerning for India, and they must reassess their bowling strategy. The batters will experiment, but India should stick to a consistent line and length to apply pressure from both ends, avoiding over-complication," Shastri remarked during the Sky Sports lunch broadcast.

Ricky Ponting, the former Australian captain, also highlighted India's insufficient use of short balls to unsettle England. "Duckett and Crawley can disrupt bowlers' lengths, and I believe India has not bowled full enough with the new ball. They also haven't utilized enough bouncers, which we discussed in the previous match at Old Trafford," he noted.

"They haven't pushed the batters back or forced them into uncomfortable positions. England has been proactive and has performed exceptionally today, scoring nearly seven runs per over," he added.