Stuart Broad criticised the decision to call off day four’s play at The Oval with the fifth Test match between England and India on a knife edge.
Ground staff and umpires came together in the middle to discuss conditions after play had been suspended for bad light and heavy rain. And despite the rain easing and brightening skies, play was called off at 6pm, to loud boos from the crowd.
The players will return on Monday to finish off the contest, with England needing 35 runs and India needing four wickets. England currently lead the series 2-1.
“Still 20 mins away from possible start time,” Broad tweeted at 6.25pm. “Everyone has their sunglasses on at the train station. Felt the supporters deserved to see a finish to that Test Match today. Felt a lazy decision to call it off at 6pm in my opinion. I wonder who makes it?”
However neither side grumbled about the decision, after another hard day’s play.
Joe Root, who hit a century to drag England back into the match, told the BBC: “It is quite a fitting end for how the rest of the series has gone. It has ebbed and flowed all of the way through and this test is exactly the same.
“We are in for a cracker, we are in a good position. We have another heavy roller available. Things might happen quicker with the new ball, it might be easier to score.”
A night’s break and an extra use of the heavy roller could play into England’s hands but a saturated outfield meant the tourists were not complaining.
“We can see it’s pretty wet out there,” said Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel. “In a way that’s out of our control so all we can focus on is doing a good warm-up in the morning, get the boys ready to get the ball in the right area and create a little bit of excitement again.”
Chris Woakes, who has not featured since badly damaging his left shoulder while fielding on Friday, has remained with the team and is willing to bat at No 11 with his arm in a sling if required.
“You probably saw him in his whites in the dressing room. He’s all in, like the rest of us,” said Root.
“Clearly, he’s in a huge amount of pain. But it means a huge amount to him and it just shows the character and the person that he is, that he’s willing to put his body on the line like that for England.
“If it does come to that, hopefully he can get us across the line and win an incredible series.”
additional reporting by PA
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