India fly high on Jaiswal hundred

Night's Watch Akash Shines In Daylight

- Firoz Mirza @London

Catches win the matches. It sounds clichéd, but overlooking it might cost the team a game. England can vouch for it. Till Friday afternoon, they were in the driver's seat, and even after they finished well below the score they looked to get to after the belligerent opening partnership in their first essay, they had the upper hand in the fifth and final Test here at the Oval.

The hosts, however, ceded ground to India by dropping as many as six catches till tea on Saturday. Three of those reprieves were given on Day 2, and England's generosity continued the following day as they spilled three more chances. Making the most of the chances they got in the field, India tore apart England's bowling attack to pile on runs in the series decider.

Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal, who slammed a century on Day 3, benefitted the most as he was dropped thrice during his 118-run knock, which came off 164 balls. Harry Brook grassed a chance at the second slip in the fifth over of India's second innings, giving Jaiswal his first reprieve. While that might be considered a difficult catch, the second one dropped by substitute Liam Dawson at deep fine leg should have been taken. The India opener hooked a waist-high short ball, but Dawson failed to spot the ball and got hit in the face. Ben Duckett was the culprit the third time as he could not latch on to a tough catch at leg gully.

And it was not only Jaiswal; B Sai Sudharsan, Akash Deep, and Karun Nair also got a reprieve each as England's horrible day in the field continued.

Incidentally, it was Jaiswal who dropped four catches in the first Test at Leeds, which India lost despite five centuries from their batters in the match and setting up a formidable total of 371 for England to chase in the fourth innings. The Mumbai batter dropped three catches in the first innings and one in the next. If Jaiswal was at the receiving end after that loss, he made merry at the Oval thanks to butter-fingered England.