At the end of a punishing third day for England came one last gut punch from the only fast bowler to stay the course in this series. Mohammed Siraj, scourge of the hosts 24 hours earlier, sent a searing yorker into Zak Crawley’s stumps to bring about the close and set India on course for a 2-2 draw.
All that stands between Shubman Gill’s hardy tourists and this outcome are nine English wickets. And with Chris Woakes unlikely to bat with a dislocated shoulder, it may only take eight. After losing Crawley to the penultimate ball, England will resume in the morning on 50 for one but still with 324 more runs needed to win.
The hosts certainly felt like the outside bet when Siraj hit the bullseye and the Indian supporters in the stands erupted. England’s target of 374 may just be three more than they cruised to in the first Test at Headingley but this is a far more capricious surface and the balance of power has long since shifted.
Not only that, the highest successful run chase at the Oval is the 263 that England chased down against Australia, nine wickets down, in 1902. A certain Gilbert Jessop struck the record 76-ball century that day – the record that England’s aggressive current generation keep unsuccessfully flirting with.
And there is also another injury concern in the ranks. Ben Duckett survived what was a hostile late 14-over burst from India’s quicks but as he walked off on 34 not out, his hand was throbbing after a brutish blow from Prasidh Krishna. If England are to stand any chance of securing a 3-1 series scoreline, they will probably need their incendiary opener fit and firing.
If there was confidence to be found for England – and there was little to speak of as Siraj wheeled away in celebration – it came from the 396 all out that India stuck on the board in 88 overs. This was driven by Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 118 from 164 balls, a remarkable 66 from nightwatchman Akash Deep and some late fireworks off the glowing bat of Washington Sundar.
The Oval is usually Ollie Pope’s happy place but England’s stand-in captain endured a pretty torturous day. He was hampered by the absence of Woakes, his attack was strung out by just 51 overs of respite between innings, and further damaged by six catches going to ground across the innings.
Jaiswal was afforded two of those lives on the second evening but, after resuming on 51, the left-hander did not offer another until, with the lead already sitting at 250 runs, he slashed Josh Tongue to deep backward point.
Even this dismissal was a case of umpteenth time’s a charm, with Jaiswal previously murderous to anything short outside off stump. Mike Selvey once wrote that “were I ever to be condemned to beheading, I would like Robin Smith to be the swordsman” – a line that came to mind every time Jaiswal rocked back and powerfully cut the ball to the rope with precision.
England knew all about the 23-year-old’s proficiency here, having witnessed the Jude Bellingham-style century celebration three times previously. More surprising was the identity of his partner during an initial third-wicket stand that, worth 107 runs, represented the highest of this fast forward match.
Deep had previously made one half-century in senior cricket but over the course of the first 90 minutes he switched from nightwatchman to fully-fledged No 4. OK, not quite. But until Jamie Overton finally knocked him over, his 12 carved fours and assiduous defensive work demoralised a side that, in theory, should have started out with some optimism.
after newsletter promotion
One factor here was India correcting their day two mistake and requesting the heavy roller first thing, temporarily anesthetising a surface that had previously thrown up 21 wickets inside two days. Another was Crawley shelling Deep at slip on 21, setting the tone for an innings that eventually climaxed after tea with Sundar hammering 53 off 46 balls.
England’s attack was running on fumes by the end, tenderised by Jaiswal class and, continuing a theme of the series, a 77-ball 53 from Ravindra Jadeja. Sundar ruthlessly applied the finishing touches, firing up the dhol drums among the Indian supporters with four fours and four heaved sixes. And no, none were struck off Harry Brook’s liquorice all sorts.
Without a frontline spinner to offer both threat and relief, England’s three fit seamers deserve credit for their efforts. Tongue had a second Test five-wicket haul to show for it – five for 125, admittedly – while Gus Atkinson, the most consistent, took his match tally to eight. Among these was Gill lbw for 11 with the first ball after lunch, ending the Indian captain’s mighty series with 754 runs but, curiously, an average of just 13.5 inside the M25.
This match has been a struggle for Overton, however, with his right-arm heft less suited to the pitch – his home pitch, no less – and his radar not helped by a lack of form in the lead-up: Deep’s removal ended a run of 63 overs in first-class cricket without a wicket, while Dhruv Jurel, lbw for 34 with a nice outswinger, was just his fourth of the season.
While England largely eschewed rotation in the hope of winning this series early – ending up with Ben Stokes injured and both Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer needing a breather – Overton’s selection still felt like one that was made with an eye on the Ashes. With impressive resilience summed up by the indefatigable Siraj, India have simply kept coming.
