India's Yashasvi Jaiswal celebrates his hundred in the fifth Test against England at the Oval

London (AFP) - India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal’s sparkling hundred in the fifth and deciding Test at the Oval on Saturday left England needing to break a record that has stood for over a hundred years in their quest for a 3-1 series win.

India were dismissed for 396 in their second innings on the third day in south London as the tourists set England a target of 374 to win with just over two days’ play remaining.

No side, however, have made more to win in the fourth innings of a Test at the Oval than England’s 263 in a celebrated one-wicket victory over arch-rivals Australia back in 1902.

Jaiswal was out shortly before tea for 118, his second hundred of the series after the 23-year-old left-hander’s 101 in the first Test at Headingley.

He received superb support from Akash Deep in a third-wicket partnership of 107, with the paceman belying his status as a nightwatchman with an accomplished 66 – his maiden Test fifty.

Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, both fresh from hundreds in the drawn fourth Test at Old Trafford, kept the runs coming with contrasting fifties.

Sundar launched a brutal assault after a depleted England took the new ball.

England, a bowler down after Chris Woakes suffered a shoulder injury diving in the field on Thursday, were too often wayward and further harmed their own cause by dropping six catches in the innings, with Jaiswal reprieved three times.

India had resumed on 75-2, with Woakes’ absence increasing the pressure on England’s three remaining fast bowlers – Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue and Jamie Overton.

- Punched the air -

Deep had made 21 when he edged Tongue only for Zak Crawley, diving across to his left from third slip, to floor the two-handed catch.

Deep went to fifty when he pulled Atkinson for a ninth four in just 70 balls faced.

India's Akash Deep celebrates his fifty in the fifth Test against England at the Oval

The 28-year-old, appearing in his 10th Test, punched the air in celebration before being embraced by Jaiswal.

But just when it seemed India would bat through the morning session without losing a wicket, Deep got a leading edge to backward point as the recalled Overton took his first wicket of the match.

Shubman Gill, who has enjoyed a remarkable debut series as India captain, fell to the very first ball after lunch when lbw to Atkinson for 11.

His exit left Gill just 20 runs shy of opening great Sunil Gavaskar’s 54-year-old record for the most runs by an India cricketer in a Test series of 744 against the West Indies.

Gill compiled 754 runs at a superb average of 75, including four hundreds.

Jaiswal’s quick single off Atkinson saw the elated batsman to a 127-ball century, including 12 fours and two sixes.

England dropped a sixth catch when, having set a trap to have Jaiswal taken at leg gully, the batsman duly obliged, only for Ben Duckett to put him down off Overton.

Jadeja went to a 71-ball fifty, his fifth of the series, with a back-foot four off Tongue before the paceman had him caught in the slips.

England took the new ball as soon as they could, with India 342-7 off 80 overs.

India's Washington Sundar hits a six in the fifth Test against England at the Oval

But left-hander Sundar responded with three superb sixes, including hoisting Tongue, who eventually finished with figures of 5-125, over fine leg and deep midwicket in the space of three balls.

Sundar then smashed two fours and a soaring six over midwicket off three successive Atkinson deliveries to complete a brilliant fifty in just 39 balls before he was last man out for 53.