London: Another fine batting exhibition by Indians left England with a victory target of 374 runs in the final Test at the Kennington Oval on Saturday.
A career-best 66 by nightwatchman Akash Deep, a second century in the series by Yashasvi Jaiswal (118) and half-centuries by Manchester Test heroes Ravindra Jadeja (53) and Washington Sundar (53) helped India post 396 – a record-setting eighth time in 10 innings that they have posted 350-plus totals in this series.
Shubman Gill (11) missed out, trapped leg-before wicket by an incoming delivery from Gus Atkinson, but the Indian captain still aggregated a monumental 754 runs in the series – just 20 short of Sunil Gavaskar’s Indian record of 774 runs amassed in the 1971 away series against the West Indies.
Two others – KL Rahul (532) and Jadeja (516) – also crossed the magical 500-run mark in the series. To underline the dominance of Indian batters, a landmark 12 individual centuries were recorded – 4 by Gill, 2 each by Rishabh Pant, Rahul and Jaiswal, 1 each by Jadeja and Sundar.
The batters’ superlative batting show has given India a great chance of levelling the series 2-2. Never before has a target of even 300 been achieved in the fourth innings at the Oval, leave alone the 374 England are eyeing for a series-clinching victory.
But with this England team, under coach Brendon McCullum and injured skipper Ben Stokes, absolutely nothing is impossible.
They love chasing in the last innings, and in this very series, scored 373/5 on the final day to win the opening Test. So even though there is still some assistance for the quick bowlers on this pitch, India will be wary of England’s super special ability.
Openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, who had blazed their way to 92 in 13 overs in the first innings, have once again given the team an encouraging start. After 10 overs, England were 42/0, with 45 minutes of play remaining on the third day.
Having triggered a massive collapse in the first innings, India’s pacers led by Mohammed Siraj, will have to be at their best to deny England.
BRIEF SCORES
India first innings: 224
England first innings: 247
India second innings: 396 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 118, Akash Deep 66, Ravindra Jadeja 53, Washington Sundar 53; Josh Tongue 5/125, Gus Atkinson 3/127).
England second innings: 43/0 (45 minutes before stumps on Day 3).