England will need 324 more runs on Sunday to secure the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy after finishing day four on 50 for 1 in pursuit of 374 against India at The Oval.
India, powered by Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 118 and a surprise 66 from nightwatchman Akash Deep, posted 396 in their second innings. Their total left England chasing what would be the second-highest successful run chase in their Test history.
England’s openers made a lively start as Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett shaved 50 runs off the target in the evening session.
You just can’t drop six catches and expect to win a Test match. That was the story of day two for England, who were sloppy in the field and let India build a commanding lead. You have to give credit to India’s batsmen, though, especially young Akash Deep. What a way to announce yourself, hitting a fifty and putting on a huge partnership that really put England under the pump.
Just when you thought the day was a total write-off for England, Mohammed Siraj pulls out an absolute peach of a yorker to get Crawley right at the death. That wicket changes the mood completely heading into day three.
Ravindra Jadeja added 53, Washington Sundar smashed a rapid 53 off 39 balls with four leg-side sixes, and the tail added crucial late runs.
Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, and Jamie Overton shared nearly the entire workload for England, bowling 79 of the 88 overs. Tongue finished with five wickets, while Atkinson claimed three.
So, here’s the deal for the final day. England has to score a record number of runs to win the whole thing 3-1. India just needs to get them all out—eight more wickets—and they’ll escape with a 2-2 series tie.
A draw isn’t happening, so somebody has to lose. You can bet both teams are feeling the heat as the crowd gets ready for a nail-biter.
The outcome will define the series. For India, it would mark a strong recovery from 2-1 down under new leadership. For England, it is a chance to seal a rare series win over a “big three” opponent under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.
