India resumed Day 3 of the final Test at The Oval on a solid note, with overnight batters Yashasvi Jaiswal and night-watchman Akash Deep extending their partnership impressively. The duo weathered early pressure and stitched together a vital 107-run stand for the third wicket. Akash Deep, showing surprising composure and flair for a lower-order batter, brought up his maiden Test half-century and looked set for more until he was dismissed for a gritty 66 right before lunch, ending what had been a memorable knock.
Post lunch, the spotlight shifted fully to Yashasvi Jaiswal, who continued his fine form by notching up yet another century — his sixth in Test cricket. With elegant strokes and smart rotation of strike, Jaiswal scored a superb 118 off 164 balls. He found a solid partner in Ravindra Jadeja, who added a well-compiled fifty of his own. Their partnership propelled India’s total past 350, strengthening the visitors’ grip on the game.
However, England found a breakthrough at a crucial time when Josh Tongue dismissed Jadeja with the second ball of the 84th over. This brought Mohammed Siraj to the crease — not known for his batting but expected to survive a few deliveries. He managed to safely negotiate the first two balls, giving a flicker of hope to fans that he might hang around.
That hope didn’t last long. Tongue delivered a fuller, straighter ball that trapped Siraj plumb in front of the stumps. The umpire raised his finger without hesitation, but Siraj, visibly shocked and disappointed, didn’t walk off immediately. In a moment of confusion, he seemed to contemplate a review, only to be reminded by non-striker Washington Sundar that all reviews had already been exhausted.
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What followed was both comical and heartwarming. Siraj stood frozen, looking at the umpire in disbelief before slowly gathering his thoughts. He picked up the bat that had slipped from his hands and trudged off the field with a heavy heart. The moment quickly went viral, as fans on social media dubbed him “Sir Richards” in jest, reacting to his animated expressions and his evident emotional investment despite the duck.