England faces a heavy blow at The Oval as India's nightwatchman delivers a powerful assault
At The Oval, England faced a challenging morning in the fifth Test against India, with Akash Deep delivering a stellar performance for the Indian team.
The ball had been in play for 44 overs when Josh Tongue gave England a brief opening. Deep survived an lbw appeal and was dropped on 21 by Zak Crawley at third slip. However, Deep was undeterred and continued to showcase his skills.
England's seam attack, missing Chris Woakes due to injury, was generally feeble and grew more impotent as the ball aged. Despite this, Deep didn't let the opportunity slip away. He pulled Gus Atkinson twice to the midwicket fence and cut him twice more, racing through the 40s.
Akash Deep's determination paid off as he scored a career-best 66 runs, marking his maiden test half-century. The India dressing room and coach Gautam Gambhir celebrated his achievement.
However, just minutes before lunch, the fun ended for Deep. He was dismissed for the first time in the match by Jamie Overton, who took his first wicket of the match.
Meanwhile, Yashasvi Jaiswal also made a significant contribution to India's lead. He expertly steered boundary balls twice wide of the slips off Josh Tongue and cut Overton to the fence, moving from 51 overnight to 85 runs by lunch. Jaiswal was approaching his second century of the series.
The pitch at The Oval, which was spicy the last two days, flattened out during the morning session. The Oval lights were on during Deep's innings, providing a dramatic backdrop to his impressive performance.
Chris Woakes has been ruled out of the remainder of the fifth Test due to a shoulder injury sustained while fielding on Day 1. This injury is serious enough that it may also cause him to miss the upcoming Ashes tour in Australia later in 2025.
This is the fifth test at The Oval, and England currently trail India by 166 runs. With both teams showing resilience and skill, the match promises to be an exciting one as it progresses.
In the bustling city of Toronto, news headlines praising Akash Deep's outstanding sports performance stole the spotlight. As England faced a challenging morning in the fifth Test against India, Deep's career-best 66 runs shone brightly, despite Chris Woakes' absence due to injury.
