Crawley falls late as India take upper hand
- BBC News
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Tongue takes five wickets but India have the edge in fifth Test after day three
Fifth Rothesay Test, The Kia Oval (day three of five)
India 224 (Nair 57, Atkinson 5-33, Tongue 3-57) & 396 (Jaiswal 118; Tongue 5-125)
England 247 (Crawley 64, Brook 53; Krishna 4-62, Siraj 4-86) & 50-1 (Siraj 1-11)
England need 324 runs to win
Zak Crawley was dismissed from the penultimate ball of day three after England had started to make steady progress in pursuit of an imposing 374 to win the fifth Test against India at The Oval.
The opener was bowled by Mohammed Siraj for 14 as the hosts reached 50-1 at the close, needing a further 324 runs to win, with Ben Duckett unbeaten on 34 to conclude another gripping day.
Despite Crawleys departure, England will be boosted by the much-improved batting conditions after they spent most of the day in the field as India racked up 396 under brighter skies.
The pitch flattened and offered far less seam movement, with Yashasvi Jaiswals sublime 118 the highlight for the tourists.
There was also a surprising maiden Test fifty for Akash Deep, who added 107 for the third wicket with Jaiswal as England started poorly, unable to take the wicket of the nightwatchman until the final 10 minutes before lunch.
Deep was put down on 21, one of six dropped catches in the innings for England as their makeshift bowling line-up - without the injured Chris Woakes - toiled admirably but were again let down in the field.
Gus Atkinson pinned captain Shubman Gill lbw for 12 with the first ball after lunch as England improved, but Ravindra Jadeja continued his fine form with 53 and Washington Sundar, with India nine down, blitzed four sixes in a 39-ball fifty to give India the upper hand.
Josh Tongue claimed the final three wickets, having also dismissed Jaiswal earlier, to finish with 5-125 for his wholehearted efforts.
It is fitting that England have another sizeable chase having began the series by chasing 371 at Headingley to ignite a fiery series. Should they win it would be the highest Test chase at The Oval, beating Englands 263-9 against Australia in 1902, though there is rain forecast for Sunday.
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Hes bowled him! - Siraj removes Crawley with last delivery before stumps on day three
Crawley and Ducketts fifty stand did not quite match the explosiveness of their partnership of 92 in just 12.5 overs in the first innings, but they looked just as assured.
India started with boundary riders out at cover and square leg to restrict the flow of boundaries but they did not let the pressure tell, still able to pick the gaps off anything loose and rotate the strike calmly.
But Siraj, whose remarkable fitness in being able to fire for India in all five Tests so far has gone somewhat under the radar with all of the discussions surrounding Jasprit Bumrah, gave them the momentum into day four.
Crawley was too late on a full delivery angled in at his toes to spark India jubilation, but despite being favourites, they will be wary of Englands chasing credentials.
It will be difficult for their Headingley heroics and a chase of 378 at Edgbaston in 2022 not to linger on Indias minds, particularly with the conditions favouring the batters after two bowler-friendly days.
They also only have three seamers in Siraj, Krishna and Deep, who were all expensive in the first innings, and the pitch is yet to show any signs of favouring spin for Jadeja and Washington.
With so much on the line for both teams - England hoping for a 3-1 series win to take confidence into the winters Ashes and India desperate to salvage a 2-2 draw - the series has bubbled to the tantalising conclusion that it has deserved.
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Jaiswal makes century as England pay for two dropped catches
India started the day with a lead of 52 and there was an immediate sense of trepidation regarding Englands depleted bowling attack and the sun shining for the best batting conditions of the Test so far.
Jaiswal, who was put down on 20 and 40 late on day three, took the back seat early on as Deep was Englands unlikely nemesis.
Crawley dropped the chance in the slips, but Deeps half-century was a well-deserved punishment for England bowling far too short in the opening hour.
Overton got the breakthrough shortly before lunch, with Deep caught in the covers for 66, and Atkinsons wicket of Gill saw hopes of a fightback glimmer.
But the imperious Jaiswal remained, reaching his second century of the series from 127 balls as he expertly punished Englands inconsistency. Collectively, they bowled far too short and wide to him, exemplified by 72 runs of his first 100 runs being scored behind square on the off side.
Englands six drops – others being Brooks spill of Karun Nair at slip on 12 and a much tougher chance for Duckett at leg-slip when Jaiswal had 110 – were their most in an innings since 2006 and Indias prodigious opener ensured they paid the price.
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Tongue takes five-for as India set England 374 runs to win
England responded well after lunch as they tightened their lines and were rewarded with the three wickets of Gill, Nair and Jaiswal, but once again it was Jadeja who was the second-innings thorn in their side.
The all-rounder reached his fifth fifty of the series, sharing stands of 44 with Jaiswal and 50 with Dhruv Jurel, to end the series with 516 runs at an average of 86.
Brook eventually held on at slip as Jadeja nicked off to Tongue for 53 which was the first time he had been dismissed in the second innings all series, and at that time Indias lead was 334 – still a significant challenge, but achievable for an England batting line-up renowned for embracing such chases.
Tongue pinned Siraj lbw two balls later as they looked to wrap things up at a canter but Washington, on 17 from 23 balls when the ninth wicket fell, had other ideas.
England curiously reverted to bowling short as he whacked four enormous sixes to reach a half-century, expertly protecting Prasidh Krishna from the strike in a potentially match-winning partnership.
Stand-in captain Ollie Pope had little choice but to work his seamers relentlessly with little turn on offer for part-time spinners Joe Root and Jacob Bethell, and already being a bowler down after Woakes shoulder injury on day one.
Tongue toiled for 30 overs, Atkinson bowled 27 and added three wickets to his first-innings five-for but Overton was again ineffective and heaped the pressure on the pair, finishing with 2-98.
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Will England rue six dropped catches in Indias second innings?
England bowler Josh Tongue speaking to Test Match Special: "It is a replay from Headingley. I got asked a similar question that game.
"It will be a great day of cricket and a great day for us if we get the runs. It is doing a bit.
"A few balls tonight jumped off a good length but if you get through the first hour who knows."
India centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal: "I was constantly talking to myself and enjoying the pressure.
"Of course, it is going well and, as I have batted a lot, it is not easy on this wicket.
"We are really confident and we will try our best.
