5th Test: Siraj Strikes Late After Jaiswal Century Sets England a Target of 374

London: Mohammed Siraj delivered a crucial blow on the final ball of Day 3 by bowling Zak Crawley with a superb yorker, leaving England at 50/1 in 13.5 overs. England now need 324 more runs to win the fifth and final Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test at The Oval and seal the series 3-1.

India dominated proceedings on Day 3. Nightwatchman Akash Deep scored a thrilling 66 — his maiden Test fifty — followed by a magnificent 118 from Yashasvi Jaiswal, his sixth Test century. Jaiswal’s innings, laced with 14 fours and 2 sixes, was made even more special with his parents and elder brother watching from the stands. India ODI captain Rohit Sharma was also present.

Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar added fifties of their own, scoring 53 each, as India posted 396 in 88 overs in their second innings. For England, Josh Tongue claimed a five-wicket haul (5-125), while Gus Atkinson and Jamie Overton took 3 and 2 wickets respectively.

Chasing 374 to win, England began positively, with Ben Duckett remaining unbeaten on 34. Crawley had settled at 14 before Siraj deceived him with a yorker after setting a field for the short ball, ending England's opening stand at 50. Siraj, who now shares the position of top wicket-taker in the series with Tongue, could prove vital as India look to level the series 2-2.

Morning Highlights:
The day began with fireworks from Akash Deep, who was dropped on 21 and then raced to 66 with 12 boundaries before falling to Overton. His spirited knock, coming after joining Jaiswal at the end of Day 2, laid the foundation for a 107-run partnership. He confidently attacked bowlers like Bethell and Atkinson, and celebrated his fifty by pointing to the India crest, earning a rare smile from coach Gautam Gambhir.

Just before lunch, Akash fell while attempting a pull shot off Overton. Shubman Gill came in briefly and played a couple of classy strokes before lunch.

Afternoon Session:
England got an early breakthrough when Atkinson trapped Gill lbw for 11. Jaiswal brought up his century — his fourth against England — with a quick single.

Karun Nair, who had a shaky time at the crease, was dropped in slips but failed to capitalise. He eventually edged behind to Jamie Smith off Atkinson.

Jadeja and Jaiswal scored freely, until Jadeja’s attempted ramp shot off Overton found backward point. He had earlier overturned an lbw decision via DRS. Dhruv Jurel joined Jaiswal and steered India safely to tea with three stylish boundaries.

Evening Session:
Post-tea, India extended their lead beyond 330. Overton trapped Jurel lbw for 34, while Jadeja notched his fifth fifty of the series before edging to second slip off Tongue. Siraj was dismissed lbw three balls later.

Sundar unleashed a counterattack, smashing two sixes off Tongue and bringing up a quick-fire fifty off 39 balls with another six. However, his aggressive streak ended when he skied one off Tongue into the leg side — where Crawley held on despite colliding with Ollie Pope — as the pacer completed his five-wicket haul.

England’s Response:
Crawley and Duckett got off to a fluent start, facing Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep with confidence. Duckett played elegant flicks and drives, while Crawley took boundaries off both pacers.

Siraj replaced Prasidh late in the day, and after a tight spell, broke through Crawley’s defense with a superb inswinging yorker that crashed into off stump. That late wicket tilted the momentum toward India heading into Day 4, where they’ll look to bowl England out and level the series.

Brief Scores:
India: 224 & 396 in 88 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 118, Akash Deep 66; Josh Tongue 5-125, Gus Atkinson 3-127)
England: 247 & 50/1 in 13.5 overs (Ben Duckett 34*; Mohammed Siraj 1-11)
India lead by 324 runs

With inputs from IANS