The fifth and final Test match between England and India at The Oval saw an unusual interruption on Day 3. Ravindra Jadeja, while batting, was distracted by a spectator’s bright red t-shirt. He brought this to the attention of the umpire, Kumar Dharmasena.
Dharmasena instructed the ground staff to address the issue. Rather than being moved, the fan agreed to change his shirt. A staff member provided a grey t-shirt, which the fan then wore. Jadeja signaled his approval with a thumbs-up, bringing a lighthearted resolution to the situation.
India’s performance continued to be dominant. England ended Day 3 with a score of 374. India lost only one wicket during the morning session, that of Akash Deep, who played a strong innings of 66 off 94 balls. Deep’s partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal yielded 107 runs, setting the stage for a strong innings.
Jaiswal, after a less successful first innings, scored a composed 118 off 164 balls. Jadeja added a crucial half-century to his series performance. Washington Sundar added a late flourish with several sixes. Sundar’s explosive batting put pressure on England’s bowlers.
England’s opening batsmen, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, started well, adding 50 runs for the first wicket. However, a yorker from Mohammed Siraj got Crawley out for 14. England needed 324 more runs to win with nine wickets left.