Sat Aug 02 19:45:41 UTC 2025: ## Jaiswal Century and Siraj Strike Give India Edge in Oval Test, Series on the Line
**The Oval, London -** Yashasvi Jaiswal’s sparkling century and a dramatic last-ball wicket from Mohammed Siraj have put India in a commanding position in the fifth and final Test against England at the Oval. India are pushing to level the series 2-2 after a dominant Day Three performance.
Jaiswal, the young Indian opener, continued his impressive form against England, notching his fourth Test century against them and his sixth overall. His innings of 118, though punctuated by a few lucky escapes with three dropped catches, anchored India’s second innings total of 396, setting England a challenging target of 374 for victory.
The Indian innings was further bolstered by valuable contributions from nightwatchman Akash Deep (66), Ravindra Jadeja (53), and Washington Sundar (53). Captain Shubman Gill, despite a low score of 11, surpassed Graham Gooch’s record for the most runs in an India-England series, finishing with 754.
England’s fielding woes continued, dropping a total of six catches, their most in a home Test since 2006. The home side’s depleted bowling attack toiled hard, with Josh Tongue claiming 5-125.
England’s reply got off to a shaky start. On the very last ball of the day, Mohammed Siraj delivered a searing yorker to clean bowl Zak Crawley for 14. This key wicket left Ben Duckett unbeaten on 34, with England ending the day on 50-1.
Speaking after his century, Jaiswal expressed confidence in his team’s chances. “We are really confident,” he said. “We will try our best and see what happens.”
England, known for their aggressive “Bazball” approach, have a history of chasing down large totals under coach Brendon McCullum. However, with the series on the line and the momentum firmly with India, the final two days promise a thrilling contest. Josh Tongue said, “It will be a great day of cricket tomorrow, and a great day for us if we get the runs. The batting line-up we have is unbelievable.”
First Piper 