As the Oval Test heads into a thrilling final day, former India pacer Varun Aaron has offered insight into the team's mindset. He insisted that India are determined to win and level the five-match series against England.
At the start of Day 5, with England requiring just 35 runs and India hunting four wickets, the match is delicately balanced and the stakes could not be higher.
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After a seesaw Day 4 that ended early due to bad light and rain, Aaron revealed that the Indian camp is treating Day 5 as a do-or-die battle, drawing energy from the crowd and momentum from a spirited late-session burst.
Varun Aaron shares India and Shubman Gill's mindset on Day 5
Speaking recently, Aaron said he had spoken to a few players and shared what the team was thinking heading into the decider.
"They're saying that they're going to seal this no matter what happens. So the gloves are off. The Indian team have decided that they're going to throw in whatever they have, throw in the kitchen sink and make sure they seal this series with a win," he said.
"They don't want to go back, losing a series after all that they've put in, all the records that they have tumbled, the bowling unit and the batting unit together," Aarona dded.
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India clawed their way back into the contest late on Day 4 by dismissing Jacob Bethell and centurion Joe Root in quick succession. Aaron praised the energy shown after tea - particularly by Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna.
He credited their aggressive short spells for swinging the momentum.