Jaiswal and Deep keep India in the hunt against England
- Last updated: August 2, 2025 | 18:10
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Akash Deep shared a century partnership as India dominated the third morning in the fifth and deciding Test against England at the Oval.
India, in a match they must win to level the series at 2-2, were 189-3 in their second innings — an overall lead of 166 runs — at lunch on Saturday.
Left-handed opener Jaiswal was 85 not out after a third-wicket stand of 107 with Deep, who belied his status as a nightwatchman with an accomplished 66.
India captain Shubman Gill, who started his innings needing just 32 more runs to break Sunil Gavaskar's record for the most runs by an India batsman in a Test series of 744, was unbeaten on 11.
England were a bowler down after Chris Woakes suffered a shoulder injury when diving in the field on Thursday.
India resumed on 75-2 after holding England to a first-innings total of 247, with pacemen Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj taking four wickets each after the tourists rested Jasprit Bumrah, the world's top-ranked Test bowler.
Woakes' absence, which came after England captain Ben Stokes was ruled out of the match with a shoulder injury, increased the pressure to perform on the three remaining fast bowlers — Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue and Jamie Overton. Deep had made 21 when he survived a Tongue lbw appeal on umpire's call.
Next ball he edged Tongue only for Zak Crawley, diving across to his left from third slip, to floor the two-handed catch — England's fourth drop of the innings and one of their most costly.
Atkinson, one of four changes to the England side that drew the fourth Test at Old Trafford, had been the pick of the hosts' attack in India's first-innings 224 with 5-33 on his Surrey home ground. But when he dropped short with his first ball Saturday, Deep pulled him for a commanding four.
Deep went to his fifty when he pulled Atkinson for a ninth four in just 70 balls faced. The 28-year-old Deep, appearing in his 10th Test, punched the air in celebration before being embraced by Jaiswal.
But just when it seemed India would bat through the session without losing a wicket, Deep got a leading edge off Overton to backward point.
It was the recalled Overton's first wicket of the match following a return of 0-66 in 16 overs during India's first innings.
In keeping with the simmering tensions that have added spice to the series, several England players engaged in verbal sparring with Gill and Jaiswal after the Indian pair wasted time just before lunch.
Agence France-Presse