England have done it before. Twice. Can they do it again?
India set England an imposing target of 374 on day three of the fifth and final Test at The Oval, with the hosts closing on 50-1 after opener Zak Crawley (14) was bowled by Mohammed Siraj (1-11) with the final ball of the day.
Shubman Gill’s side will head into the dressing room with their nose ever so slightly in front, but England will still believe they can finish the job off, and if they do so, it will be their second-highest run chase in Test history.
England lead the five-match series 2-1 and will be gunning for a win, whilst the opposition will be hoping for victory themselves to secure a series draw at The Oval.
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Highlights from day three of the fifth Test between England and India at The Kia Oval
England began the series by chasing 371 for victory against India at Headingley. However, now the stakes are slightly higher, with no Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes injured, the series on the line, and the Ashes on the horizon.
If England are successful, it would be their highest Test chase at The Oval, going past their 263-9 against Australia in 1902.
More recently, in 2022, England successfully chased 378 at Edgbaston against the same opposition, a prospect India will be well aware of.
England may be one wicket down already, but Ben Duckett (34no) remains at the crease. The England opener was instrumental in the Leeds victory, notching scores of 62 and 149 in the first and second innings, respectively.
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Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope got away with some clumsy fielding when the pair collided while catching Washington Sundar
They still have Joe Root to come, the second-highest run-scorer in Test cricket.
Root pushed past Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, and Ricky Ponting while scoring 150 – his 38th Test ton – on day three of the fourth Test against India at Emirates Old Trafford, and it is now only Sachin Tendulkar keeping him off the summit.
“India have done what they needed to do to give themselves the best chance to win this game,” said Sky Sports’ Ricky Ponting.
“England need 324 runs, they probably won’t get those tomorrow, but you never know with the way that England go about it.
“But what India have done by breaking that partnership tonight was crucial. They take a little bit of momentum from England.
“Washington Sundar (53) gave India the momentum they needed going into their bowling innings and now Siraj has given them a bit heading into tomorrow.”
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Washington Sundar blasted a spectacular half-century on day three at The Oval and put a big dent in England’s hopes of gaining victory
Duckett was struck hard on his hand in the 11th over by Prasidh Krishna on a wicket that continues to offer inconsistent bounce.
“That’s a little thing that India will need tomorrow, if things do start to get a bit flat, that there are one or two of those balls in the pitch if you can run in and bend your back hard enough,” Ponting added.
England famously back themselves to chase down big totals and they will be channeling that Bazball energy on day four.
They have previously taken things down to the wire at Lord’s, where they beat India by 22 runs in a remarkable fashion.
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Ravindra Jadeja started an entertaining episode with an Oval spectator who was wearing a red shirt behind the bowler’s arm and wasn’t keen to change it
And, no doubt, Woakes, who has been ruled out of the remainder of the final Test with a shoulder injury, will come out to bat if England need a handful of runs to win.
It won’t be the first time an injured player has come out to bat in this series. In the fourth Test, India’s Rishabh Pant added to the scoreboard with a fractured foot.
The series is now finely poised and the stage is set for a fitting finale.
Tongue: England are ‘pretty chilled’ about big run chase
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After a frustrating morning in the field England finally got some reward when Jamie Overton ended the stubborn innings of Akash Deep
England are “pretty chilled” about the daunting prospect of breaking a 123-year-old record, with Josh Tongue sensing a feeling of deja vu as the Test series hangs in the balance.
“It’s a replay from Headingley. I got asked the same question then so I don’t see why we can’t chase down these runs,” he said.
“We’re pretty chilled about it. There’s not much overthinking it. How we play as a batting unit is very positive, very exciting. With the line-up we’ve got, I can’t see why we can’t give it a good go.
“It will be a great day of cricket and a great day for us if we get the runs. It is doing a bit, a few balls tonight jumped off a good length, but if you get through the first hour, who knows?”
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Stuart Broad gives Nasser Hussain a tour of the England dressing room at The Oval
Yashasvi Jaiswal, who led his side’s efforts with a fine 118 that was augmented by crucial contributions from Akash Deep (66) and Washington Sundar (53), expects his side to level the series 2-2.
“Of course, I think we are quite confident,” Jaiswal said.
“We just need to focus on our process and keep bowling in the right areas. That’s what we are thinking.
“We want this, we want some battle in the middle.”
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Michael Atherton says the match referee has to step in if there is a repeat of a similar incident between Akash Deep and Ben Duckett
Watch day four of the fifth Test between England and India, at The Kia Oval, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.15am on Sunday (first ball at 11am) or stream without a contract.
England vs India – results and schedule
All games at 11am UK and Ireland; all on Sky Sports
