By Ed Osmond
LONDON (Reuters) -India ended a gripping third day that ebbed and flowed leading England by 323 runs in the final test at The Oval on Saturday with the game and series still hanging in the balance.
After Yashasvi Jaiswal’s patient 118 led the touring side to a total of 396, England were set a victory target of 374 with two days remaining. Mohammed Siraj bowled Zak Crawley with the final ball of the day to reduce the hosts to 50-1.
India are favourites to secure victory and draw the series, but England, who racked up 373-5 to win the first test, will still fancy their chances of completing what would be by far the highest successful test run chase at the south London ground.
India had dominated the morning session as Jaiswal and nightwatchman Akash Deep shared a stubborn century partnership to frustrate a toothless England attack under murky skies.
The home side’s callow seam attack looked bereft of ideas and inspiration, and their sloppy catching continued.
Jamie Overton removed Deep for 66 just before lunch with a ball that lifted sharply, but the England team and the majority of the spectators looked as gloomy as the weather as the players trudged off.
The hosts removed Shubman Gill with the first ball after lunch, however, the India captain trapped lbw by Gus Atkinson for 11 and failing to get the decision overturned on review.
PAINFUL BLOW
Karun Nair suffered a painful blow to his hand from the next delivery which spat up off the pitch, and suddenly England and the crowd were energised.
Jaiswal moved calmly to his sixth test century and second of the series before Nair, on 17, edged Atkinson to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.
Ben Duckett at leg slip spilled a very difficult chance to remove Jaiswal, England’s sixth dropped catch in the innings, before the batter’s long vigil ended when he slashed Josh Tongue to deep backward point.
“I enjoyed it,” Jaiswal said. “I need to push, and I need to do well for my team. I was constantly talking to myself and enjoying the pressure.”
Ravindra Jadeja, who England had failed to dismiss in the second innings of any of the first four tests in the series, passed 50 once again before edging the second new ball to Harry Brook at second slip off Tongue.
The young fast bowler snared Siraj lbw in the same over and, although replays showed the ball had brushed his bat, with no reviews remaining he had to depart.
LATE CAMEO
Washington Sundar then delivered a remarkable late cameo.
He struck four huge sixes, the last taking him to his 50 from 39 balls, before he skied Tongue to Crawley to give the bowler his fifth victim and end a last-wicket stand of 39 that provided yet another twist in the match.
“Coming into today we thought if we stacked up enough balls in good areas we would take a few wickets,” Tongue said.
“One wicket in the morning but we came back strong after lunch. We stuck at it all day and got our rewards.”
Duckett and Crawley batted fluently with few alarms in the last hour until Siraj produced a rapid yorker to remove Crawley for 14, leaving Duckett unbeaten on 34.
“The batting lineup we have is unbelievable. If we can build partnerships who knows where we might be tomorrow,” Tongue said.
England have succeeded in several big run chases in recent years but they should be wary of history at The Oval.
The highest successful one in a test match was England’s 263-9 to beat Australia in 1902.
(Reporting by Ed Osmond, Editing by Andrew Cawthorne, Pritha Sarkar and Ken Ferris)
