The fifth and final Test at The Oval between India and England saw its share of tension, drama, and viral moments. One such moment came late on Day 3 when Zak Crawley once again tried to disrupt rhythm: only this time, Shubman Gill wasn’t biting.During the 13th over of England’s chase of 374, Crawley was seen backing away as Mohammed Siraj charged in, attempting to delay the bowler’s momentum. On one such occasion, Shubman Gill, standing in the slip cordon, offered only a sly smile, markedly different from his fiery reaction earlier in the series when he had told Crawley to “grow some f***ing balls” on the stump mic for similar antics during the Lord’s Test.
This time, Gill didn’t rise to the bait. But Siraj had the perfect response three balls later.Watch:On the final delivery of the day, Siraj pulled off a stunning setup. After planting the idea of a short ball with the field, he unleashed a late, dipping yorker that snuck under Crawley’s bat and shattered his stumps. Crawley was completely undone, his footwork static, his reaction too late. Siraj’s celebration was emphatic, arms wide and roaring toward the dressing room. A big breakthrough just before stumps.
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It was a vital strike, as England had cautiously moved to 50 without loss before that wicket. Crawley departed for 14 off 36 balls, with two boundaries, while Ben Duckett remained unbeaten on 34.Earlier in the day, India posted a commanding 396 in their second innings, with Yashasvi Jaiswal scoring a fluent 118. Akash Deep’s unexpected 66 and solid fifties from Jadeja and Sundar helped India set England a daunting target of 374.At stumps on Day 3, England still need 324 runs with eight wickets in hand; and without injured Chris Woakes, who is unable to bat, the task has become significantly steeper.
