England’s hopes of a series victory against India were hanging in the balance after a lacklustre morning session on day three of the fifth Test decider. The home attack, missing the injured Chris Woakes, managed only one wicket in two insipid hours – that of nightwatcher Akash Deep, who scored a career-best 66.
Sent in late on Friday evening to protect Shubman Gill, Deep formed a game-changing stand of 107 with Yashasvi Jaiswal. He should have been dismissed on 21 but was dropped at slip by Zak Crawley, his second miss of the innings and England’s fourth overall. India reached lunch on 189 for three, already 166 ahead and with plenty of batting to come as they aim to level the series 2-2.
The tourists’ overnight lead of 52 had seemed containable, but England were below their best from the start, unable to generate danger or contain the scoring. Part-timer Jacob Bethell took the first over to allow Gus Atkinson to change ends, and Deep helped himself to a slogged boundary from the third ball of the day. He continued to chance his arm, heaving Atkinson and angling Josh Tongue wide of the slips.
Deep should have fallen in the eighth over when Tongue had him lbw, but DRS upheld the umpire’s call, and the next delivery found the outside edge only for Crawley to fumble at third slip. That was England’s closest chance as they lost control, with India adding 52 runs in a dispiriting passage. Deep advanced to an unlikely fifty with three fours off the tiring Atkinson, showcasing unexpected range with a square cut, uppercut and pull.
Jamie Overton finally ended Deep’s innings shortly before lunch, digging in a short ball that took the leading edge and popped to backward point. It was a handy wicket, but after 28 wicketless overs on a helpful pitch, Overton owed his side one. Gill and Jaiswal engaged in familiar time-wasting just before the interval, the latest act of gamesmanship in a contest marked by strained relations.
