Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 118 and half-centuries from Akash Deep (66), Ravindra Jadeja (53) and Washington Sundar (53) helped India set a stiff 374-run target against England, on the third day of the fifth Test here on Saturday.Resuming at 75 for two, India were bolstered by a second ton of the series for Jaiswal, who made 118 off 164 balls with 14 fours and two sixes, while Akash Deep smacked his maiden half-century to end with 66 off 94 balls with 12 fours.
One of the most consistent performers of the series, Jadeja then propped up the score with another vital fifty as he made 53 off 77 balls with five fours. This was his fifth half-century of the series apart from a hundred scored in a previous Test.
Towards the end, Sundar smacked four sixes and four fours to make a quickfire 53 off 46 balls, putting on 39 runs for the last wicket with Prasidh Krishna, to take India’s lead beyond the 350-run mark.For England, who lead the series 2-1, Josh Tongue took five for 125.
Resuming the day at 75 for two, India did exceedingly well to reach 189 for three at the break with Yashasvi Jaiswa (85 not out off 106 balls) and Akash Deep (66 off 94 balls) sharing a 107-run stand off 150 balls.The India pacer, who was on four overnight, was eventually dismissed by Jamie Overton towards the end of the session with a well-directed short ball aiming his rib cage leaving him in a tangle. Gus Atkinson took an easy catch at point.A bowler short due to Chris Woakes’s shoulder dislocation, England could control the run flow against Akash Deep who slashed his bat plenty of times in the session and got away with it.A fourth catch went begging when Zak Crawley dropped a sitter at third slip, offered by Akash off a Josh Tongue delivery.The surface also played a lot better than the first two days, with the ball not seaming around that much. There are plenty of edges down the third man region but did not result in wickets.Akash Deep, who had just one first-class fifty to his name prior to this game, made his intentions clear in the first over of the day bowled by left-arm spinner Jacob Bethell. The Indian cleared his leg and dispatched Bethell over mid-wicket for a boundary.Akash Deep did not hold against the fast bowlers as well, especially Atkinson. He got to his fifty with another slog off Atkinson. He was understandably fired up with his stellar effort that was duly applauded by the Indian dressing room.
