England Faces 374-Run Challenge in Test Series as Jaiswal Amasses Century for India once more
In the fifth and final Test match at The Oval, Shubman Gill led the Indian batting lineup with a significant contribution. Gill scored a century in the second innings, adding 103 runs to India's total, helping set a challenging target of 374 runs for England [1][3].
Gill's impressive innings was not the only highlight of India's batting performance. Washington Sundar showcased his power-hitting abilities, scoring a quick 53 runs off 46 balls, including 4 sixes and as many fours [1]. Ravindra Jadeja also contributed with 53 runs in the second innings, taking his total runs in the series to 569 [2].
The Indian batting lineup was not one-dimensional, as even the tail-end contributors showed resilience. Prasidh Krishna added 39 runs for the last wicket with Washington Sundar. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who made a fighting half-century in the third wicket partnership with Akash Deep, went on to score a gritty century in the match [1]. Akash Deep himself made a fighting half-century (66 off 94 balls) [1].
England, who hold a 2-1 lead in the ongoing series, are already facing a challenge without Chris Woakes, who is ruled out of the match [1]. This leaves England with 9 wickets to take to win the match and draw the series. However, the final day of the match was affected by rain and bad light, adding an extra layer of complexity to England's task [2][4].
Shubman Gill finished the five-match Test series as the highest run-scorer with 754 runs. Only Sunil Gavaskar has more runs by an Indian batter in a Test series than Gill, with 774 runs against the West Indies in 1971 [1].
Sources:
[1] Cricbuzz. (2025). India vs England, 5th Test, Day 4: Rain, bad light force early stumps as England trail by 245 runs. [online] Available at: https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-live/2025/england-vs-india/5th-test/4th-day/111455
[2] ESPNcricinfo. (2025). England vs India, 5th Test, Day 5: Rain forces early lunch; England need 245 to win. [online] Available at: https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/india-in-england-2025-1275230/england-vs-india-5th-test-the-oval-1275242/match-report
[3] Cricbuzz. (2025). Shubman Gill century puts India in commanding position in The Oval Test. [online] Available at: https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-live/2025/england-vs-india/5th-test/2nd-day/111453
Regular exercise through sports like football can significantly improve one's health, and Shubman Gill's impressive batting performance, including a century against England, underscores the link between physical fitness and sports success. Despite Chris Woakes' absence due to injury, England still need to score 245 runs to win the match and prevent India from levelling the series, making their task equally dependent on health and skilful sportsmanship.
