Siraj strikes after Jaiswal helps India set England daunting target

New Straits Times

4 days ago

LONDON: Yashasvi Jaiswal made a sparkling hundred and Washington Sundar a blistering fifty before Mohammed Siraj struck with the last ball of Saturday's play to bolster India's hopes of a series-levelling win in the fifth and deciding Test against England at the Oval.
India were dismissed for 396 in their second innings on the third day as they set England a target of 374 to win with just over two days' play remaining.
Siraj, ever-present in all five matches of a gruelling series, then yorked Zak Crawley for 14 with just two balls left in the day's play to spark joyous celebrations among the tourists.
England were 50-1 at stumps, still requiring a further 324 runs to win, with Ben Duckett 34 not out.
No side have made more to win in the fourth innings of a Test at the Oval than England's 263 in a one-wicket victory over Australia back in 1902.
However, the most England have made to win any Test in the fourth innings was their 378 against India at Edgbaston in 2022, while they also chased down 371 at Headingley in the opening match of this series.
Earlier, Jaiswal was out for 118, his second hundred of the series after the talented left-hander's ton at Headingley.
The 23-year-old opener received superb support from Akash Deep in a third-wicket partnership of 107, the paceman belying his status as a nightwatchman with an accomplished 66 -- his maiden Test fifty.
Ravindra Jadeja and Sundar, both fresh from hundreds in Manchester, each made 53, with Sundar launching a brutal assault after a depleted England took the new ball.
A wayward home team, a bowler down after Chris Woakes suffered a shoulder injury diving in the field on Thursday, harmed their own cause by dropping six catches in the innings, with Jaiswal reprieved three times.
India resumed Saturday on 75-2.
Deep had made 21 when he edged Josh Tongue only for Crawley, diving across to his left from third slip, to floor the two-handed catch.
Deep went to fifty when he pulled Gus Atkinson for his ninth four.
But with India on the verge of batting through the morning session without losing a wicket, Deep got a leading edge to backward point off Jamie Overton.
Shubman Gill, who has enjoyed a remarkable first series as India captain, fell to the very first ball after lunch when lbw to Gus Atkinson for 11.
His exit left Gill just 20 runs adrift of Sunil Gavaskar's longstanding record for the most runs by an Indian cricketer in a Test series of 774, set against the West Indies in 1971.
Gill compiled 754 runs at a superb average of 75, including four hundreds.
Jaiswal's quick single off Atkinson saw the elated batsman to a 127-ball century, including 12 fours and two sixes.
England dropped a sixth catch when, having set a trap to have Jaiswal taken at leg gully, the batsman duly obliged, only for Duckett to put him down off Overton.
Jaiswal was eventually dismissed when he ramped Tongue straight to deep backward point before Jadeja completed his fifth fifty of the series in 71 balls.
England took the new ball as soon as possible, with India 342-7 off 80 overs and promptly tried to bounce out Sundar in what proved to be an expensive ploy.
The left-hander responded with three superb sixes, including hoisting Tongue, who finished with figures of 5-125, over fine leg and deep midwicket in the space of three balls.