A touching incident involving two generations of Indian cricketers occurred off the field as India finished a commanding Day 3 at The Oval, setting England a record 374-run total in the fifth and final Test.
The legendary Sunil Gavaskar gave current Test captain Shubman Gill a particular gesture to signal the conclusion of play. In addition to wishing Gill and the team luck for the rest of the hard-fought series, the 76-year-old gave Gill a specially signed cap. Gavaskar further demonstrated his support for the rookie captain’s leadership at a crucial juncture in the game and series by giving Gill a personalized SG-branded T-shirt.
Gavaskar pledged to support the team from the commentary box while sporting what he referred to as his “lucky jacket”—the same one he wore during India’s historic Gabba victory against Australia in 2021—with the series still alive and India with a good chance to tie it 2-2. Reaffirming his faith in the team’s capacity to complete the task, Gavaskar informed Gill, “I’ll be backing you from the ground.”
Day 3 was all India’s. Early strikes from Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna set the tone, dismantling England’s top order. Yashasvi Jaiswal then took charge with a commanding century in the second innings. In an unexpected twist, nightwatchman Akash Deep launched a fiery counterattack that left England’s bowlers stunned. Steady contributions from Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar further stretched India’s lead past 370.
Just before stumps, Mohammed Siraj struck early once more with the ball, dismissing Zak Crawley with a fiery yorker, giving India a crucial breakthrough as England finished Day 3 on the back foot. With captain Ollie Pope expected to enter, the morning session will be a whole different ballgame even though Ben Duckett, who is in excellent form, is still at the crease.
India has the advantage as they attempt to level the series 2-2 on Gill’s first complete tour as Test captain. Additionally, momentum—and emotion—appear solidly with the visitors when a legend like Gavaskar provides assistance from the sidelines.
