India vs England 4th Test Day 5: Explainer: Why Ashwin will be missed at Oval as Virat Kohli eyes series lead

London, September 6: The fourth Test between India and England has poised for a thrilling finish. On the final and Day 5, England will require 291 runs to take a 2-1 series lead and India need 10 wickets to gain the upper hand. But the big question is whether India will miss the presence of R Ashwin on the decisive day.

Ashwin's omission had created a furore in cricketing circles and if India fail to win this Test at the Oval, a lot more questions will be asked about the absence of the veteran off-spinner, owner of 413 Test wickets.

Here MyKhel takes at a look at why India possibly can feel the absence of Ashwin.

1. The nature of the Oval pitch on Day 5

The Kennington Oval pitch is still a reasonable one to bat on. Yes, there is a bit of rough created after the bowlers' footmark that Ravindra Jadeja will look to exploit. The left-arm spinner Jadeja gave a small hint of it when he hurried England opener Rory Burns a couple of times on Day 4 but by and large he struggled for rhythm and he will have to hit the spot straightway on Day 5.

2. What Ashwin could have done on Day 5

The Oval pitch is neither disintegrated nor it offers uneven bounce. But Ashwin could have made some difference with his endless variations and that vast reservoir of experience. Then there was that small matter of his hold over England captain Joe Root. Root is one of the batsmen Ashwin has dismissed most number of times in Tests and on a crucial day, while chasing the Indian spinner could have exerted a lot of pressure on the Yorkshire man. And not just on Root, Ashwin could have dominated the left-handers in England line-up like, Burns, Dawid Malan and Moeen Ali, all the hosts' mainstays. Ashwin has a fantastic record against left-handers and is the bowler who has dismissed the most number of southpaws in Test cricket.

3. Can pacers cover up for Ashwin?

The answer to that question depends on the first hour or session. If India fast bowlers led by Jasprit Bumrah can take a couple of early wickets then England will be under pressure, as they already are under by that daunting 291 runs target on day 5. If Umesh Yadav can work up some reverse swing with the old ball then the Indians can hope to inflict some damage on England line-up that bats deep.

4. England's chances on Day 5

Without having to tackle Ashwin, England batsmen know they have that much less task to negotiate on Day 5 at the Oval. They have made a good beginning as openers Burns and Haseeb Hameed have stitched together a fifty- run alliance. They still have in-form Root in the hut and Malan too has showed some form since his return to Test cricket in the third Test at Leeds after a gap of three years. They then have Ollie Pope, who made a fifty in the first innings here, Moeen, Chris Woakes, Jonny Bairstow, Ollie Robinson, Craig Overton etc, all capable hands.