The final day of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy will decide the series. England need 35 more runs with four wickets in hand after centuries from Harry Brook and Joe Root put them on the brink of a 3-1 series win over India at The Oval.
Chasing 374, England reached 339 for 6 before bad light and heavy rain ended day four early. India’s slim hopes remain alive with the new ball just a few overs away and Chris Woakes, who is injured, expected to bat only if absolutely necessary.
Brook and Root controlled the fourth innings for most of the day. Brook’s 111 off 91 balls was an attacking statement, his first hundred in a fourth innings and his tenth in only 50 Test innings. He rode his luck, including a life when Mohammed Siraj stepped on the boundary rope after taking a catch, and responded by counterattacking with clean strikes to the fence.
Root’s 105, his 39th Test hundred, came with his typical calm and precision. He flicked and nudged his way through the innings, surviving one review on 88, and marked the milestone with a tribute to his late mentor Graham Thorpe. Wearing one of Thorpe’s white headbands, Root pointed to the sky, acknowledging the former England great as the crowd applauded.
ALSO READ: Joe Root Confirms Injured Chris Woakes Ready to Bat in Series Decider Against India
India’s bowlers kept the contest alive. Prasidh Krishna took three wickets for 109, including a late burst that removed Jacob Bethell and Root in the space of two overs. Mohammed Siraj, in his 22nd over of the day, applied relentless pressure with tight lines, while the spinners held the middle overs but failed to stop the flow of singles when Brook and Root were set.
The fourth day swung back and forth. England slipped to 106 for 3 after Ben Duckett’s 54 ended at second slip and Ollie Pope fell lbw to Siraj. Brook then counterattacked, sharing a brisk partnership with Root that put England firmly in control by tea.
Late in the evening, as clouds thickened and the scoring slowed, India sensed an opening. Bethell’s inside edge onto his stumps and Root’s thin nick to the keeper lifted the visiting fielders and their fans. Then the rain came, forcing an early end and leaving the tension to carry over into a fifth day.
Monday morning promises one last push from both teams. England will hope Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton can finish the chase without calling on Woakes. India will bank on the new ball and fresh seamers to give them a chance of squaring the series.
With 35 runs left and four wickets standing, the series that has already stretched to its 25th day will end in a fittingly dramatic finale.
