YASH BASH... WASH BOSH!

Top and tail Jaiswal & Sundar heap on runs as lacklustre England flop and flail

- BY MIKE WALTERS

ABANDON hope, all ye who enter The Oval draped in the Cross of St George today.

It’s not the hope that kills you ~ it's the dropped catches and the last-gasp drama.

Until Mohammed Siraj speared an exquisite yorker beyond Zak Crawley’s defences (right) with the day's penultimate ball, England dared to dream another outrageous heist was on.

And the eternal optimists may still fancy their chances.

But after Crawley fell in the twilight to leave England 50-1, this looks like a mission impossible even Tom Cruise wouldn't fancy.

England may be leading the series 2-1, but they are also ahead in the race for the golden dunce’s hat, currently 21-18 in front on dropped catches.

After spilling SIX chances, they found themselves chasing 374 in two days plus 70 minutes after dismissing India for 396 - a total bolstered by Washington Sundar's brilliant, violent 53, containing four sixes, that rubbed England's noses in it.

Earlier, Yashasvi Jaiswal, beginning the series as he started it - with a century - lived a charmed life as India built their formidable lead.