Jaiswal’s hundred leaves England needing Oval-record chase to beat India

LONDON: India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal’s excellent hundred in the fifth and deciding Test at the Oval on Saturday left England needing to break a record that has stood for over a hundred years in their quest for a 3-1 series win.

India, were 304-6 in their second innings – an overall lead of 281 runs – at tea on the third day in south London.

No side have made more to win in the fourth innings of a Test at the Oval than England’s 263 in a celebrated one-wicket victory over arch-rivals Australia way back in 1902.

Jaiswal was out shortly before tea for 118, his second hundred of the series after the 23-year-old left-hander’s 101 in the first Test at Headingley.

He received excellent support from Akash Deep in a third-wicket partnership of 107, with the paceman belying his status as a nightwatchman with an accomplished 66 – the paceman’s maiden Test fifty.

England in driving seat as India reach 204-6

Ravindra Jadeja, fresh from a hundred in the drawn fourth Test at Old Trafford, was 26 not out, while Dhruv Jurel, in for injured wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, was 25 not out at tea.

England, a bowler down after Chris Woakes suffered a shoulder injury diving in the field on Thursday, were too often wayward and further harmed their own cause by dropping six catches in the innings, with Jaiswal reprieved three times.

India resumed on 75-2 after holding England to a first-innings total of 247, with pacemen Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj taking four wickets each after the tourists rested Jasprit Bumrah.

Punched the air

Woakes’ absence increased the pressure on England’s three remaining fast bowlers – Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue and Jamie Overton.

Deep had made 21 when he edged Tongue only for Zak Crawley, diving across to his left from third slip, to floor the two-handed catch.

Atkinson had been the pick of the hosts’ attack with 5-33 during India’s first-innings 224.

But Deep went to fifty when he pulled Atkinson for a ninth four in just 70 balls faced.

The 28-year-old Deep, appearing in his 10th Test, punched the air in celebration before being embraced by Jaiswal.

But just when it seemed India would bat through the morning session without losing a wicket, Deep got a leading edge to backward point as the recalled Overton took his first wicket of the match.

India captain Shubman Gill came in needing just 31 more runs to surpass the outstanding Sunil Gavaskar’s 54-year-old record for the most runs by an India cricketer in a Test series of 744 against the West Indies.

But to the very first ball after lunch, Gill was lbw for 11 to Atkinson as he aimed across the line, with India now 189-4.

Gill, however, had still enjoyed a remarkable debut series as India skipper, the 25-year-old leading from the front with 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 Ben Duckett to put him down off Overton.