England set record-breaking target to seal Test series triumph as India achieve 32-year first

England will have to complete the highest-ever successful run chase at The Oval if they are to win the final Test and series against India.

The hosts have been set 374 to win after Yashasvi Jaiswal (118) scored his fourth century against England in helping India to 396.

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Jaiswal’s impressive record against England continues Credit: Getty It was also a day in which India equalled a 32-year record, becoming the third side in Test history to have five batters score over 400 runs in an away series.

No side has done that since Australia in The Ashes in 1993.

For England, they can take comfort from the fact they have twice chased down 370+ scores against India in the BazBall era. 

But the wicket of Zak Crawley (14) to the last ball of the day has made the task that much more difficult.

Read more on cricket Alongside Jaiswal, valuable fifties from England’s tormentors-in-chiefs Ravindra Jadeja (53) and Washington Sundar (53) and also, crucially, from the nightwatchman Akash Deep prevented England from bowling themselves back into the match.

Deep was the only wicket to fall in the morning session, but not before he hit his best score in first-class cricket of 66. 

Combining with Jaiswal, the two took India from 75/2 at the start of play to 189/3 at lunch – a lead of 166 runs.

Sadly for England, the catching, which had been their scourge at the start of India’s innings, continued with Deep put down on 21 by Crawley at third slip.

The afternoon session went better for England, with Shubman Gill LBW for 11 first ball, falling agonisingly short of Sunil Gavaskar’s record.

Gill needed 21 more runs to become India’s all-time leading Test run scorer in a series.

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Josh Tongue was the pick of the England bowlers Credit: Getty

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Crawley was bowled with the last ball of the day at The Oval Credit: Getty Karun Nair soon followed his captain for 17 (dropped on 12) and the centurion Jaiswal.

But India still led by 281 at tea with the pitch still offering assistance to England’s bowlers.

Dhruv Jurel (34) was the first to go in the evening but not before he had added 50 with Jadeja as England’s fast bowlers continued late into the day. 

It was to their huge credit that, even without Chris Woakes, they never let India get away from them.

When Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj (0) went in the same over bowled by Josh Tongue (5/125) England would have felt they were nearly there. 

But Washington stuck around and blasted four sixes in a last wicket partnership of 39 with Prasidh Krishna (0).

Ex-Australia all-rounder bowls nightmare 18-ball over to hand victory to rivals

It meant England had just over an hour to bat out with the openers coming so close to making it through unscathed. 

However, Siraj delivered one of the balls of the series to bowl Crawley and give India real reason to cheer that at some point over the next day or so, they can complete an historic comeback to draw the series and retain the trophy.

Source: TalkSport | Continue to Full Story…