IND Vs ENG, 5th Test: Shubman Gill Floored By Sunil Gavaskar's Heartwarming Gesture On Day 3; Video

Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar paid a deeply personal tribute to Shubman Gill, capping off what had already been a career-defining series for the young Indian captain. Following Day 3 of the final Test at The Oval, Gavaskar presented Gill with a signed cap and shirt a rare and emotional gesture.

Gavaskar walked up to the 25-year-old after play and handed over the memorabilia. Speaking to Team India Test skipper the 74-year-old said, "I have got a gift for you in anticipation of you going past (me). At least you got something to aim for in the next series. It is just a little gift. It is a shirt with SG initials, someone made it for me, I am giving this to you, but I don't know if it will fit you. This is a cap which I give to very few people with my signature. All the best,".

Gill and Mohammed Siraj's tactical ploy was on display during the final moments before the end of Day 3 as Siraj clean bowled Zak Crawley. Impressed by the brilliant piece of captaincy Gavaskar promised to wear his lucky jacket, hoping it would turn India's fortune.

"That last over was fantastic. Sending a fielder over there, but then bowling the yorker. Tomorrow I am going to wear my lucky jacket, which I wore in Australia, the white one during the Gabba Test, on the last day,"

Shubman Gill misses Sunil Gavaskar's record

Gill's bid to break Gavaskar’s iconic record of 774 runs in a single Test series narrowly fell short. Finishing with 754 runs across 10 innings in the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Gill missed the mark by just 21 runs. Despite a quiet performance in the final Test where he scored 21 and 11.

Though the record slipped through Gill’s fingers, he did etch his name into the books in another significant way: his 754-run haul is now the most by an Indian Test captain in a single series, eclipsing Gavaskar’s own 732-run effort against the West Indies in 1978/79 a record that had stood for 46 years.

India look to level series after solid second innings display

After posting 396 runs on board courtesy of Yashasvi Jaiswal century. Jaiswal's innings of 118 runs was crafted with 14 boundaries and 2 sixes. Contributions came from all around Akash Deep, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar all struck valuable half-centuries, frustrating the English bowlers.

Josh Tongue once again led the bowling effort for the hosts, claiming 5 wickets, while Gus Atkinson and Jamie Overton shared the remaining scalps.

Facing a challenging target of 374 for victory, England’s chase began cautiously. Zak Crawley fell for 14 just before stumps, clean bowled by Siraj, handing India a crucial breakthrough. With the pitch showing signs of wear and the Indian bowlers in rhythm, England’s task on Day 4 will be steep.

As things stand, the match is finely poised, but India undoubtedly hold the upper hand heading into the penultimate day. England will need something special to chase down the total.