IND vs ENG, 5th Test Match, Day 3: Jaiswal, Gill Aim to Build on Slender Lead

As India eyes a 250+ advantage at The Oval, <strong>Karan Pradhan</strong> outlines the key battles ahead in a Test that could tip decisively on Day 3.

Siraj celebrates his dismissal of Joe Root on Day 2 of the 5th Ind vs Eng Test, at The Oval on Friday, 1 August 2025. Photo via BCCI

Published on the cusp of play, #PreMatchMemo sets the scene before each Test — spotlighting arcs, angles, and all that’s in play before the first ball is bowled.

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A REMARKABLE SECOND DAY of the Oval Test saw the amassing of 342 runs and the fall of 15 wickets, all over the course of 75 overs. As has been the growing trend in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, tempers also flared with the normally laconic Joe Root getting in on all the ‘argy-bargy’. There was also a patch of rain during the day, almost like a heavensent sign to calm things down a bit. Regardless, a day that began with the match firmly in the balance, ended on a somewhat similar note. Both teams enjoyed periods of play where they held the upper hand, but neither held on to the advantage long enough to emerge as firm favourites.

Kicking things off on 204/6, India would’ve hoped to put on at least 70 to 80 more runs on the board to keep things nice and competitive. However, it took around five overs or so for the last four wickets to be skittled and the visitors were ahead by a mere 224 runs. Any notions of England starting things off watchfully were quickly dashed as Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley got started with a bang, and kept going. By lunch, the hosts were in an utterly dominant position at 109/1.

Despite the battering they’d endured in the first 16 overs of the England innings, the Indian bowlers emerged from the pavilion for the second session, ready to do battle. Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj embraced the conditions and state of the pitch, and proceeded to wreak havoc. From 129/1, the pace duo relied on swing, the pitch keeping low in parts and the batters’ proclivity to go after the bowling to reduce England to 247/9. Chris Woakes, it may be recalled, injured his shoulder and will be playing no further part in this Test.

With just under 20 overs left in the day, India came out to bat and it would appear Yashasvi Jaiswal had taken a page from the English playbook. While partner KL Rahul was essaying the role of conservative sheet anchor, Jaiswal was going hammer and tongs at the opening bowlers in much the same way Duckett and Crawley did earlier in the day. And while India would lose Rahul and Sai Sudharsan before stumps, the young southpaw would smash his way to 51, and in so doing, guide the team to 75/2. It is worth noting that the visiting batters were the beneficiaries of some incredibly sloppy fielding from the home side, which included three dropped catches.

THE DAY AHEAD

It might seem a brave prediction at this point, but Saturday could well be the day the fine balance between England and India is broken in this final Test. The two teams have been matching each other step for step and blow for blow, but it’s on the third day that we might get a better idea of which way this Test is headed. For now, the ball is very much in India’s court and the visitors will be looking to build considerably on the 52-run lead upon which they currently sit.

The key agents in this mission will include Jaiswal, who has yet to follow up his ton in the first Test with another three-digit score this series. Critical also will be the contribution of skipper Shubman Gill, who try as he might, won’t be fully able to block out the fact that he is within spitting distance of the record (810 runs) for most runs in a Test series by a captain. On the strength of his first innings performance, Karun Nair should also be good for a few runs, while Ravindra Jadeja will be keen to chalk his own first innings performance off as a mere aberration. With Washington Sundar also in tow, India will realistically look at pushing on to a lead of at least 250, weather permitting.

Meanwhile, fresh off his first innings fifer and the key wicket of Sudharsan the second time out, Gus Atkinson will be raring to go from the first ball of the day. He bowled with plenty of vim and vigour on Friday and was unlucky to end the day with the solitary wicket. Josh Tongue had a very mixed experience (coupling textbook seam bowling with some horribly wayward stuff) in the first essay, but seemed to be setting the record straight in the second. He too will be keen to get deep into the Indian batting order early in the day.

Now, should India weather the first hour or so, there is the promise of sunshine, brighter (and less cloudy) skies and warmer temperatures that awaits. In other words, if the visitors see off the overnight moisture and zip, there’ll be opportunities to pile on the runs.

There’s time for one last prediction. The four preceding Tests in the series have gone the distance with each match arriving at its conclusion on the final day. In this correspondent’s view, we could be looking at a result late on Sunday or early on Monday. And the events of Saturday — a veritable must-watch day of Test cricket — will more than likely provide the best indication of what that result will be.

Karan Pradhan is editor-in-chief of Story Mode a gaming and gaming-adjacent magazine. Follow him on X/Twitter @karanpradhan_

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