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The quartet of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Akash Deep, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar rallied India to a solid total of 396 before getting bundled out on Day 3 of the fifth Test against England at The Oval. With this India handed a daunting 374-run target to England despite Josh Tongue's fifer.
Following the early dismissals of KL Rahul and Sai Sudharsan, Jaiswal, along with nightwatchman Akash Deep, steadied the ship. The duo put on a crucial partnership, taking the score from 70/2 to 177/2 before Deep was dismissed after scoring a well-crafted maiden Test fifty (66). Jaiswal went on to crack a robust 118, putting India in a strong position.
Despite Jaiswal's century (118), the middle order struggled, with Shubman Gill (11), Karun Nair (17), and Dhruv Jurel (34) failing to make significant contributions. However, a late-innings rally from Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, who both scored crucial fifties, propelled India to a commanding total of 396. England's bowlers fought hard, with Josh Tongue being the pick of the attack, claiming a brilliant five-wicket haul (5/125), while Gus Atkinson contributed with three wickets. India was eventually bundled out on Day 3, leaving England with a daunting target of 374 to win the fifth Test.
A formidable task now awaits England, as no team has successfully chased a target of more than 263 runs to win a Test match at The Oval. India has already ensured that England will need to set a new record to secure a victory.
India's lead was significantly bolstered by Yashasvi Jaiswal, who, despite riding his luck, scored his sixth Test century in challenging conditions. Jaiswal's prolific innings was not without its reprieves; having been dropped twice on Friday, he received another lifeline on day three. He capitalized on these opportunities, eventually reaching 118 runs and securing his second hundred of the series. England's fielding woes continued, with their dropped catches for the innings reaching six.
India lost three wickets in the session, but more importantly, they extended their lead to 281, reaching a score of 304 for six at the tea break. After lunch, Shubman Gill (11 off 9) was dismissed by Gus Atkinson, falling to an incoming delivery. This marked the end of Gill's prolific series, where he amassed a staggering 754 runs, just 20 shy of Sunil Gavaskar's all-time record for an Indian player in a series. Jaiswal was eventually dismissed when he was caught in the third man region, while Karun Nair (17) fell to a delivery from Atkinson that found extra bounce in the corridor of uncertainty, a recurring problem for him.
Meanwhile, if England have to win this match, they will have to chase down a record target in the fourth innings
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