IND Vs ENG Highlights, 5th Test Day 3: Mohammed Siraj Uproots Crawley's On Last Ball; India Need Nine Wickets

Good afternoon and welcome to everyone joining us for another absorbing day of cricket in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series. The weather forecast is bright and sunny and the Indian batters will look to cash in, though the threat of Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue cannot be overstated. Stay with us for the build-up and live updates from the third day of the fifth IND vs ENG Test.

The first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 3:30pm IST. The third day of the fifth India vs England Test will be live streamed on the JioHotstar app and website in India. It will be telecast on the Sony Sports Network TV channels in the country.

England had caught fairly well in the series leading up to Friday, when they shelled three catches inside the first 15 overs of the Indian innings. Yashasvi Jaiswal was the major benefactor as he sped to a swift 44-ball half-century.

First, Harry Brook dropped Jaiswal at second slip on 20. Liam Dawson, serving as a substitute fielder for the injured Chris Woakes, later dropped the Indian southpaw on 40 at long leg. Zak Crawley also shelled a chance at third slip off Sai Sudharsan.

Unlike the previous two days, rain is not expected to stop play on Day 3 at The Oval. The precipitation is estimated at 13 percent and the maximum and minimum temperatures are forecast to be 22 and 14 degrees Celsius, respectively. Check out the predicted hourly weather in London.

Well well, that was unexpected. England employ the left-arm spin of Jacob Bethell to start the day. This could perhaps be just to enable a change of ends for one of the seamers. Nevertheless, night watchman Akash Deep cashes in on the opportunity, smacking the tweaker for a boundary and another mis-timed slog for two towards midwicket. Welcome runs for India.

IND: 81/2 (19)

His job was to safeguard Shubman Gill last evening, but Akash Deep has fare exceeded that expectation, scoring vital runs for India in the morning. While Jaiswal has not got going as he can, the night watchman has hit freely and raced away to 21 off 33 balls. The partnership is worth 37 now and frustrating England.

IND: 105/2 (26)

England’s depleted bowling attack continued to feel the absence of Chris Woakes on Day 2, as Jamie Overton was introduced from the Pavilion End only to be uppercut for four by Yashasvi Jaiswal, who, along with Akash Deep, brought up a steady 50-run partnership.

India enjoyed a productive first hour as Akash Deep held firm and guided them through to the drinks break, offering a valuable bonus with the bat. The pitch showed signs of easing, and with Akash Deep surpassing his previous Test best of 31 — set at the Gabba — by reaching 32*, India’s position strengthened further.

Known for his explosive 53* off just 18 balls in a first-class game for Bengal in 2022, Akash's resilience here was timely, especially with Shubman Gill set to enter at No. 5 against a tiring English attack and a slightly older ball.

Akash Deep brought up his maiden Test fifty in style, swatting a boundary to deep square leg that drew loud cheers from the Indian fans and a standing ovation from his teammates. The nightwatchman, showing remarkable composure and grit, raised his bat to acknowledge the applause, his face lit with quiet pride.

England finally found the breakthrough they desperately needed as Akash Deep fell for a well-made fifty. Trying to turn Jamie Overton into the leg side, he got a leading edge that flew to point, where Gus Atkinson took a sharp tumbling catch. The Oval crowd, especially the Indian fans, rose to applaud Deep’s gritty knock, giving him a standing ovation as he made his way back to the dressing room after a memorable innings.

India head into the break in a commanding position at 189/3, leading England by 166 runs. The morning belonged entirely to the visitors, with nightwatchman Akash Deep and Yashasvi Jaiswal stitching together a superb 107-run partnership.

Deep entertained with a fluent 66 – his maiden Test fifty – while Jaiswal remained unbeaten on 85 at lunch. England looked deflated, dropping their fourth catch of the innings and struggling to find breakthroughs. Jamie Overton finally removed Akash just before the interval, but India remain firmly in control. A lead of 300-plus now looks very much on the cards.

The afternoon session begins with Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal resuming India's innings. Gill takes strike while Jaiswal, unbeaten on 85, watches from the non-striker's end. Gus Atkinson has the ball in hand for England as they look to regroup and make early inroads after a tough morning session.

What a start to the afternoon session for England! Gus Atkinson makes an instant impact, dismissing Shubman Gill with the very first ball. A sharp nip-backer crashes into Gill's pads, and despite a hopeful review, ball-tracking confirms it would have hit the stumps. A massive breakthrough for England and a crucial moment in the match.

Yashasvi Jaiswal kept the scoreboard ticking with smart running and well-placed strokes. He nudged Gus Atkinson into the leg side for a quick single, then picked up four runs off a deflection from Karun’s gloves. Moments later, he cut Josh Tongue fiercely to deep third for another boundary, moving into the nervous nineties. A single to square leg brought up India’s 200, continuing their strong position in the Test.

Yashasvi Jaiswal bookended the series in style, starting with a century at Headingley and finishing with another at The Oval. Though the tour tested him in between, this innings has been crucial with the series on the line. England’s missed chances—Brook at slip on 20 and Dawson at long leg on 40—proved costly as Jaiswal made them pay. Remarkably, four of his six Test hundreds have now come against England—two at home in 2024 and two on this tour.

Gus Atkinson continues his dream outing at The Oval, claiming his eighth wicket of the match with a sharp, rising delivery that caught Karun Nair off guard. The ball kissed the shoulder of the bat and flew to Jamie Smith behind the stumps. Nair’s tough series ends with 205 runs at an average of 25.62, his highest score being 57 — a disappointing return in his comeback campaign, leaving his place in the side under serious scrutiny ahead of India’s next assignment.

England nearly had their man with a clever leg-side trap, but Ben Duckett couldn’t hold on to a sharp chance at leg gully as Jaiswal flicked an inswinger firmly off his pads. It flew quickly and low, making it a tough opportunity. Jamie Overton followed up with a fiery 87mph yorker, but Jaiswal was equal to the task, digging it out with composure.

Ollie Pope, having managed his three frontline pacers smartly through the day, decided to ease their workload by turning to Joe Root at the Vauxhall End. The part-time off-spinner began tidily, sending down a maiden over to Yashasvi Jaiswal, who looked content to see him off without taking any risks.

Josh Tongue bangs one in short, but it's too tight for the uppercut, and Jaiswal ends up spooning it straight to Jamie Overton at deep backward point. The well-set opener departs for a brilliant 118, earning a warm ovation from the crowd.

His knock has given India a commanding position with a lead of 250. With Dhruv Jurel slated to come in at No. 8 due to the nightwatchman and Washington Sundar still in the hut after his Manchester ton, India remain in strong shape.

Josh Tongue thought he had Ravindra Jadeja trapped lbw with a searing inswinging yorker, and Kumar Dharmasena agreed — but Jadeja immediately reviewed. Replays showed the ball struck him just outside the line of off stump, overturning the decision. There were murmurs from England about a possible bat involved as the ball lobbed up towards slip, but UltraEdge showed no contact. Jadeja took a painful blow on the foot and needed treatment, but unlike Rishabh Pant’s recent injury, he looks set to continue.

India’s lead has now crossed 283, putting them in a commanding position. For England to win and take the series 3-1, they’ll need to rewrite history by chasing the highest-ever fourth-innings target at The Oval — a record 263 set way back in 1902. That famous chase featured Gilbert Jessop’s blazing century, still the fastest by an Englishman in Test cricket, and fittingly, a new book on Jessop by Simon Wilde hit the shelves just this week.

Jamie Overton strikes just when England needed a breakthrough, ending a promising 50-run stand with a sharp delivery that traps Dhruv Jurel plumb in front. The ball angled in and nipped away off the surface, beating the outside edge and thudding into the back pad. Despite Jurel's review, UltraEdge showed no bat and ball-tracking returned three reds. Jurel departs for 34, and with that, India lose their final review as well.

Ravindra Jadeja has enjoyed a stellar run with the bat this series, crossing 500 runs on the tour and notching up his sixth fifty in just 10 innings. Remarkably, he's only been dismissed five times, giving him a batting average of over 100. While his bowling returns have been modest—seven wickets at an average of 69—if he can lead India's charge to bowl England out on the final day and help secure a 2-2 series draw, he will present a strong case for Player of the Series honours.

Harry Brook finally held onto one at second slip, ending Ravindra Jadeja’s stellar streak with the bat as Josh Tongue claimed his third wicket of the innings. Jadeja, dismissed in the second innings for the first time this series, departed with India’s lead at 334. Tongue struck again in the same over, trapping Mohammed Siraj LBW for a duck. With no reviews left, Siraj had to walk back, and India were suddenly nine down, with England aiming to restrict the target below 350.

Washington Sundar brings up a well-deserved half-century with a flurry of attacking strokes, celebrating with a punch in the air. England's weary three-man pace attack is running on fumes, and Sundar is cashing in—cutting, pulling, and hooking his way to 14 runs in just three balls.

As the lead sails past 350, England’s short-ball tactic backfires, with Sundar dispatching Atkinson for a six, stealing a cheeky single, and then launching two more big hits off Tongue over deep backward square. The pressure is squarely on the hosts now.

Washington Sundar's entertaining knock comes to an end on 53, attempting one big shot too many as he skies Josh Tongue into the leg side. A collision between Crawley and Pope in the deep adds a moment of chaos, but Crawley holds on. Tongue finishes with a second five-wicket haul in Tests, and India set England a daunting target of 374 — sandwiched between their second-highest and highest successful run chases, both achieved against India in recent years.

Akash Deep extracts sharp bounce early on, striking Zak Crawley on the right bicep—a stinging blow to start England’s chase. Despite the blow, England begin positively once again. Shubman Gill, however, has made a tactical adjustment, placing a fielder at deep point to curb the kind of aggressive start seen in the first innings. Interestingly, Prasidh Krishna shares the new ball with Deep, while Mohammed Siraj patrols the deep-point boundary.

England’s second-innings start has been far more restrained, reaching 27 for 0 after seven overs compared to their blistering 51 for 0 in the first. India have tightened the screws this time, with Akash Deep bowling accurately and extracting variable bounce from the Vauxhall End. With just over 30 minutes left in the day, Mohammed Siraj enters the attack from the Pavilion End, expected to steam in until stumps as India look to capitalise on the mounting pressure.

After a tight maiden from Siraj, Zak Crawley endured a long spell of pressure, facing 18 consecutive dot balls before finally breaking the shackles with a scrambled single to mid-on. Prasidh Krishna then switched around the wicket to probe Ben Duckett’s defence, beating him twice with deliveries seaming away.

The tension peaked when a sharp ball leapt off a length and struck Duckett hard on the glove, prompting a brief interruption with 17 minutes left in the day. No major concern, but the stoppage did eat up five valuable minutes.

A clever bluff from Siraj brings the day to a close. After pushing deep square leg back to suggest the short ball, he slips in a sharp, swinging yorker that targets off stump. Crawley, caught flat-footed by the change-up, offers a half-hearted drive through mid-off but is thoroughly beaten. It’s a fitting end to a disciplined final spell, with India holding the upper hand heading into the next day.