England’s fielders endured a difficult third day of the fifth Test, grassing six chances that allowed India to tighten their grip on The Oval contest. Yashasvi Jaiswal, reprieved three times, moved to another accomplished hundred, while B Sai Sudharsan, Akash Deep and Karun Nair were also given unexpected lifelines.
Assistant coach Marcus Trescothick admitted the errors hurt. “‘Disappointed, but it is what it is,’” he said, summing up a mood of frustration rather than panic. “We train hard, lads pride themselves on their catching. Sometimes the game gives you a bad spell and you’ve got to ride it out.”
The drops – four in the cordon, two in the deep – arrived in clumps:
• 4.5 Gus Atkinson to Jaiswal – Harry Brook, stationed at second slip, leapt but could only tip a high-velocity edge over the rope.
• 13.2 Josh Tongue to Jaiswal – Liam Dawson, at fine leg, mis-judged a flat hook and was struck on the face as ball and hands arrived together.
• 14.3 Craig Overton to Sai Sudharsan – Zak Crawley, one knee down at third slip, saw a firm drive thud into his thumb and run away.
• 25.3 Tongue to Akash Deep – Crawley again, this time moving across Brook, let a straightforward chance spill from both palms.
• 53.4 Overton to Nair – Brook dived forward, Crawley across; neither took charge and the ball burst free.
• 57.4 Overton to Jaiswal – Ben Duckett, in at leg gully, went low to his left but couldn’t cling on, England’s 20th miss of the series.
Each fumble was captured in real time on the commentary feed. “Chance… bursts through Brook’s hands at second slip,” the analysts noted after the first let-off, while the fifth produced an exasperated, “England’s fifth drop of the innings! These have got to stick!”
England had tinkered with their cordon in the morning, removing a third slip to reinforce point. The gamble immediately back-fired when Jaiswal guided Tongue between the vacant positions. It set the tone for a session where bowlers generated opportunities but watched them fall to turf.
From a technical angle, several drops owed more to footwork than raw hand skill. Crawley twice found himself reaching late after a slow initial step, while Brook’s high miss showed how challenging it can be at second slip when the ball arrives fractionally above shoulder height at 140 kph.
Former England ‘keeper James Foster, on television duty, felt the surface played its part. “There’s just enough pace to make edges carry that extra half-metre. That means split-second reaction rather than the comfortable, chest-high snaffle,” he said. “Still, these are professional cricketers – they’ll know they should have taken at least four of those.”
India, appreciative beneficiaries, pressed on to 341 for 6 at stumps, 268 ahead. Jaiswal, calm and unfussed, brought up three figures with a crisp drive through extra cover, acknowledging the crowd but not dwelling on earlier fortune. Sudharsan’s wristy 46 and Nair’s busy 38 hints at depth still to come.
England’s bowlers refused to hide. Overton kept pounding a hard length, Tongue varied his bouncer, and Atkinson found late swing, yet none received the tangible rewards their spells arguably deserved. Even so, Trescothick avoided assigning blame. “We go again tomorrow. Take those same chances and we’re in the game.”
A word on Dawson, who required a brief concussion check after the blow to the face. The all-rounder passed assessments and continued, a relieving note for a side already juggling workloads.
Day four now carries a simple equation. Hold the next chance, and England might limit the lead to something chaseable. Put another down, and India could bat them entirely out of the series. Casual followers know dropped catches cost matches; the professionals feel every one of them.
