The fifth Test match between India and England is going on at Kennington Oval in London, and by the end of the third day’s play, this match has reached a very exciting turn.
India scored 396 runs in their second innings and have given England a target of 374 runs to win.
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s brilliant century and half-centuries from Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar have put India in a strong position.
But England have scored 27/0 by the end of the day, with Jack Crowley and Ben Duckett at the crease.
Jaiswal Delivers a Masterclass Under Pressure
His century gave India a strong lead. In the commentary, Ravi Shastri said,
“There is still a bit on this pitch. There is an area on the surface from which Atkinson is operating from, and the one Siraj did yesterday afternoon, he bowled the scrambled seam deliveries which jagged back in sharply when hit a certain spot in the good length.”
England’s fielding was not special in this match. Dropping the catches of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Akashdeep proved costly. Varun Aaron said in the pitch report,
“This looks like a very good batting pitch. The batsmen will get a lot of opportunities to score runs.”
That is, this pitch is suitable for the batsmen, and England now has a golden opportunity to chase the runs.
But India’s bowlers, especially Akashdeep and Prasidh Krishna, can trouble the England batsmen.
IND vs ENG: Thrill of the match
England still need 347 runs, and they have 10 wickets left. But the effect of pits on the pitch is increasing, which can be beneficial for the Indian fast bowlers.
India captain Shubman Gill showed cleverness in bowling when he handed the new ball to Prasidh Krishna instead of Mohammad Siraj. The live update said,
“It is the wobble seam delivery from Atkinson. Ravindra Jadeja has walked into the middle. The pitch is doing all sorts of things here.”
Can England Pull Off the Chase or Will India Strike Back?
England are leading the series 2-1, but this Test is decisive. India does not have Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant, while England is playing without Ben Stokes. Still, both teams are trying their best to win.
Will England be able to chase 374 runs, or will India turn the match around on the strength of their bowlers? It will be interesting to see.
