Can India defend 374 at The Oval to avoid a series defeat? Here's what history says

India Today

16 hours ago

India are firmly in the driver's seat in the thrilling fifth and final Test against Ollie Pope's England at London's Kennington Oval. At stumps on Day 3, the Three Lions face a daunting target—still needing 324 runs with nine wickets in hand, though effectively eight since Chris Woakes won't return after a shoulder injury.Yashasvi Jaiswal lit up the match with his sixth Test century, backed by gritty half-centuries from Akash Deep, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. Their brilliant efforts helped India set a massive target of 374 runs for England to chase. With two full days remaining, time may not be a pressure point, but England's aggressive style means the pendulum could swing either way—they could even risk getting bowled out.advertisementThe final ball of the day saw Mohammed Siraj strike, claiming Zak Crawley's wicket to end the day on a high for India. After a solid 92-run stand in the first innings, Crawley and Ben Duckett put on a promising 50-run opening partnership in the second, looking dangerous before Siraj turned the tide.
With everything to play for over the next two days, the big question remains: Can India seal the victory, or will England hold their nerve and chase down the target? The battle is far from over!Improbable, but not impossible for EnglandEngland have a good chance of winning the Oval Test, based on past big run chases. They chased 359 against Australia in 2019, 378 against India in 2022, and 371 against India in 2025. These wins show they can handle pressure in the fourth innings. Most of these chases happened at places like Leeds and Birmingham, but the Oval could be different. Big chases in England are still rare, so it won't be easy. Still, with their current form and attacking style, England have the skill and confidence to chase a high target if needed.Highest successful run-chases in Test cricket in England Australia beat England (target 404) — 22 Jul 1948, Leeds England beat India (target 378) — 1 Jul 2022, Birmingham England beat India (target 371) — 20 Jun 2025, Leeds England beat Australia (target 359) — 22 Aug 2019, Leeds West Indies beat England (target 342) — 28 Jun 1984, Lord's West Indies beat England (target 322) — 25 Aug 2017, Leeds England beat Australia (target 315) — 16 Aug 2001, Leeds England need to break a century-old record To win the Oval Test against India, England must break a 123-year-old record. The highest successful chase at the Oval is 263, set by England against Australia in 1902. Since then, only a few teams have chased over 200—West Indies with 253 in 1963 and Australia with 242 in 1972. advertisementRecent chases have been even lower, like Sri Lanka's 219 in 2024. England managed 204 in 1994 and 197 in 2008, both against South Africa. Chasing 374 now would be far beyond anything ever achieved at the Oval and would demand an extraordinary effort from England's batters.Highest successful Test run-chases at The OvalEngland beat Australia (target 263) — 11 Aug 1902West Indies beat England (target 253) — 22 Aug 1963Australia beat England (target 242) — 10 Aug 1972West Indies beat England (target 225) — 4 Aug 1988Sri Lanka beat England (target 219) — 6 Sep 2024England beat South Africa (target 204) — 18 Aug 1994England beat South Africa (target 197) — 7 Aug 2008Three times in Test historyIndia have lost a Test match after setting a target of over 300 runs on three occasions. The first such loss came against Australia in 1977, when the Aussies successfully chased 339. Decades later, England achieved this feat twice. In July 2022, England chased down 378 at Edgbaston in Birmingham. More recently, in June 2025, England again defeated India by chasing a target of 371 at Headingley in Leeds. These three instances highlight rare but significant moments where India's bowling attack failed to defend substantial fourth-innings targets in Test cricket history, reflecting the challenge of closing out matches even with large leads.advertisementInstances of India losing a Test while defending 300-plus targets England beat India (target 378) — 1 Jul 2022England beat India (target 371) — 20 Jun 2025Australia beat India (target 339) — 16 Dec 1977- EndsTune InMust Watch