LONDON (AP) — Some excellent fielding from Gus Atkinson put England on top before rain stopped play on Day 1 of the fifth and final cricket test against India at The Oval on Thursday.
Fast bowler Atkinson sprinted to gather the ball in his follow through before throwing the wicket down to run out India captain Shubman Gill, who has amassed more than 700 runs in the series, for 21.
Click to Gallery
Dark clouds hover over the sky as flood lights on during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
India's KL Rahul bowled out by England's Chris Woakes during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
England's Chris Woakes, right, celebrates with England's captain Ollie Pope after the dismissal of India's KL Rahul during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Fans stand with umbrella after heavy rain stopped play during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
India's Sai Sudharsan, left, and India's captain Shubman Gill celebrate a for during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
India's Yashasvi Jaiswal walks off the field after losing his wicket during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Indian cricket team stand for the national anthem on the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
England team stand for the national anthem on the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
England's Chris Woakes bowls a delivery during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
India's KL Rahul plays a shot during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
India head coach Gautam Gambhir (centre left) looks on towards Oval head groundsman Lee Fortis during a nets session at the Kia Oval, London, Wednesday July 30, 2025. (Ben Whitley/PA via AP)
Dark clouds hover over the sky as flood lights on during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
England's Gus Atkinson appeals successfully for the wicket of India's Yashasvi Jaiswal during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Dark clouds hover over the sky as flood lights on during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
India's KL Rahul bowled out by England's Chris Woakes during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
England's Chris Woakes, right, celebrates with England's captain Ollie Pope after the dismissal of India's KL Rahul during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Fans stand with umbrella after heavy rain stopped play during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
India's Sai Sudharsan, left, and India's captain Shubman Gill celebrate a for during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
India's Yashasvi Jaiswal walks off the field after losing his wicket during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Indian cricket team stand for the national anthem on the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
England team stand for the national anthem on the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
England's Chris Woakes bowls a delivery during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
India's KL Rahul plays a shot during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
India head coach Gautam Gambhir (centre left) looks on towards Oval head groundsman Lee Fortis during a nets session at the Kia Oval, London, Wednesday July 30, 2025. (Ben Whitley/PA via AP)
When the rain intervened for the second time in the day, India was precariously positioned on 85-3 with Sai Sudharsan 28 not out and Karun Nair unbeaten on nought.
Earlier, stand-in England captain Ollie Pope won the toss and decided to put India into bat.
The home team struck first with the score on 10-0, Atkinson cutting the ball in from outside the off stump to trap Yashasvi Jaiswal lbw for 2.
Fellow opener KL Rahul then bottom-edged an attempted cut shot off Chris Woakes onto his off stump to leave India on 38-2.
Pope is leading the England team in the absence of Ben Stokes, who is absent with a sore shoulder and was replaced in the side by Jacob Bethell.
Atkinson, Jamie Overton and Josh Tongue also replaced Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse and Liam Dawson in the bowling attack.
“There’s a bit more grass in the wicket this week, overcast conditions, it’s a no- brainer to bowl first,” Pope said.
India made four changes to its team with Nair, Dhruv Jurel, Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna coming in for Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur and Anshul Kamboj.
Gill lost the toss for the fifth time in the series, meaning India has now gone 15 successive international matches without winning it.
“As long as we are winning the match I don’t mind losing the toss," Gill said. “The wicket looks good so post runs in the first innings and take it from there."
England leads the series 2-1.
Lineups:
England: Crawley, Duckett, Pope (captain), Root, Brook, Bethell, Smith, Woakes, Overton, Atkinson, Tongue.
India: Jaiswal, Rahul, Nair, Gill, Sudharsan, Jadeja, Sundar, Jurel, Deep, Siraj, Krishna.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Dark clouds hover over the sky as flood lights on during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
India's KL Rahul bowled out by England's Chris Woakes during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
England's Chris Woakes, right, celebrates with England's captain Ollie Pope after the dismissal of India's KL Rahul during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Fans stand with umbrella after heavy rain stopped play during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
India's Sai Sudharsan, left, and India's captain Shubman Gill celebrate a for during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
India's Yashasvi Jaiswal walks off the field after losing his wicket during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Indian cricket team stand for the national anthem on the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
England team stand for the national anthem on the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
England's Chris Woakes bowls a delivery during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
India's KL Rahul plays a shot during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
India head coach Gautam Gambhir (centre left) looks on towards Oval head groundsman Lee Fortis during a nets session at the Kia Oval, London, Wednesday July 30, 2025. (Ben Whitley/PA via AP)
Dark clouds hover over the sky as flood lights on during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
England's Gus Atkinson appeals successfully for the wicket of India's Yashasvi Jaiswal during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Dark clouds hover over the sky as flood lights on during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
India's KL Rahul bowled out by England's Chris Woakes during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
England's Chris Woakes, right, celebrates with England's captain Ollie Pope after the dismissal of India's KL Rahul during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Fans stand with umbrella after heavy rain stopped play during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
India's Sai Sudharsan, left, and India's captain Shubman Gill celebrate a for during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
India's Yashasvi Jaiswal walks off the field after losing his wicket during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Indian cricket team stand for the national anthem on the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
England team stand for the national anthem on the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
England's Chris Woakes bowls a delivery during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
India's KL Rahul plays a shot during the first day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
India head coach Gautam Gambhir (centre left) looks on towards Oval head groundsman Lee Fortis during a nets session at the Kia Oval, London, Wednesday July 30, 2025. (Ben Whitley/PA via AP)
