What Happened on Day Four of the 5th Test?

London, Aug 3 (NationPress) Bad light and subsequent rain brought an early end to day four of the fifth Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test at The Oval on Sunday. With an exciting day five on the horizon, England requires 35 more runs to secure the win, while India needs four wickets for a remarkable victory.

The rain interruption, pushing the match into the fifth day, ensures that every Test in this captivating five-match series has reached the final day. England seemed poised to chase down the target of 374 on day four, bolstered by Joe Root's impressive 39th Test century, scoring 105 off 152 balls, as he honored Graham Thorpe.

His fellow Yorkshireman, Harry Brook, dazzled with a remarkable 111 off 98 balls, marking his tenth century in Test cricket. Brook capitalized on a crucial let-off at 19 by Mohammed Siraj. Together, Root and Brook forged a remarkable counter-attacking partnership of 195 runs, igniting hopes for England to achieve their second-highest run chase and the highest at The Oval.

However, just as victory appeared certain for England, Root and Jacob Bethell fell to Prasidh Krishna, giving India a glimmer of hope. Overcast conditions allowed India to find seam movement, complicating matters for Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton, who were at two and zero, respectively, when the rain interrupted play.

With Chris Woakes nursing an injury in the dressing room, the anticipation for an intriguing day five remains. The outcome of this tightly contested Test series hangs in the balance, with a potential scoreline of either 3-1 or 2-2.

In the morning session, England resumed at 50/1 and quickly added 114 runs for the loss of two wickets. Ollie Pope struck two quick boundaries off Siraj, while Ben Duckett reached his fifty off 76 balls, edging a delivery to the right of gully for four. However, Siraj and Akash Deep effectively restricted Duckett's scoring opportunities.

On the fourth delivery from Prasidh, Duckett attempted a drive on a fuller ball but edged it to KL Rahul at second slip, departing for 54. Root had a shaky start, while Pope grew in confidence, driving and pulling Prasidh for three boundaries.

Just as it seemed Pope was on track for a significant score, Siraj struck again, trapping him lbw for 27. Root then unleashed two exquisite drives off Prasidh for fours, while Brook edged him for another boundary, before hitting Akash for one four and one six.

Brook's pivotal knock included a major reprieve at 19 when Siraj's catch was spoiled by stepping on the boundary cushion, resulting in a six. Thereafter, Brook's aggressive batting, including a stunning 14 fours and two sixes, helped him reach his tenth Test century and contributed to a 195-run partnership that left India scrambling.

Despite India’s efforts, they struggled as the ball softened and the pitch showed less wear, allowing England to score 153 runs in the afternoon session, reinforcing their bid for a series victory. After lunch, Brook’s counter-attack continued as he reached his fifty off just 39 balls.

With Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja struggling to extract turn and assistance from the pitch, Root and Brook effortlessly found boundaries. Brook's century came off only 91 balls before he was eventually dismissed, dancing down the pitch against Akash and getting caught by Siraj at mid-wicket.

Root, surviving an lbw appeal, kept the momentum going with three boundaries at the end of the second session, standing on the verge of a match-winning century.

As the final session commenced following a brief rain delay, Root brought up his century off 137 balls. Bethell, however, struggled for fluency and was dismissed after attempting a big shot off Prasidh.

The tension escalated as Prasidh dismissed Root, who edged behind to Dhruv Jurel, keeping the game alive. With Smith and Overton finding it tough, India gained the upper hand until bad light and heavy rain forced players off the field, leaving the series decider hanging on a knife-edge for day five.

Brief Scores: India 224 and 396 in 88 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 118, Akash Deep 66; Josh Tongue 5-125, Gus Atkinson 3-127) lead England 247 and 339/6 in 76.2 overs (Harry Brook 111, Joe Root 105; Prasidh Krishna 3-109, Mohammed Siraj 2-95) by 35 runs