Six dropped catches may cost England dearly as they attempt to clinch the five-match Test series
India ended a 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 stellar 118 led the touring side to a total of 396, England were set a victory target of 374 with two days remaining. Then Mohammed Siraj bowled Zak Crawley with the final ball of the day to reduce the hosts to 1-50.
India are favourites to secure victory and draw the series 2-2, but England 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, missing the injured Chris Woakes, 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.
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.
Ravindra Jadeja, who England had failed to dismiss in the second innings of any of the first four Tests, 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 before Washington Sundar delivered a remarkable late Indian 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.
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.
England have succeeded in several big run chases in recent years but history at The Oval is against them.
The highest successful chase in a Test match was England’s 9-263 to beat Australia in 1902.
