August 3, 2025: The thrilling conclusion of the India vs England Test series at The Oval was met with a surprise guest in the commentary box: Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
A passionate cricket fan, Pichai joined Harsha Bhogle to share his insights on the series, which he praised for its competitiveness. “What a series it’s been. Loved the fight between both teams,” he said, adding, “At this point, I’d put money on a 2-2.”
The on-field action continued to justify his praise, with the 5th Test poised for a dramatic finish. After India set a daunting target of 374, England ended Day 3 at 50 for one. Opener Mohammed Siraj provided the first breakthrough for India, cleaning up Zak Crawley for 14 on the penultimate ball of the day.
India’s formidable total was built on a series of strong performances in their second innings, which concluded at 396. Star opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was the anchor, scoring a brilliant 118, while Akash Deep notched his maiden Test fifty with a score of 66. All-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar also contributed with 53 runs each.
Despite his century, Jaiswal expressed a desire for more. “I think I wanted to do more. I wanted to make my innings bigger than that,” he told the media, also revealing a message from former captain Rohit Sharma who was in the stands. “He told me to hang in there and bat long,” said the southpaw.