England need just 35 more runs with four wickets in hand to close out the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, yet bad light and drizzle brought an early halt to an absorbing fourth evening at The Oval. Joe Root, fresh from a third century of the series, sounded relaxed about the task that remains.
“I’d like think we have got what we need to get across the line tomorrow,” Root said after stumps. “It’s been one hell of a series, one hell of a journey and the confidence in our dressing room, clearly we feel we have got the players to get us across the line. But it’s just been one of those sort of five matches in six weeks where it’s swung both ways the whole time. And we are in for a great day tomorrow.”
At 220 for 6, England hold a slim advantage, though India’s quicks will fancy a final burst in fresher conditions. An hour into the last session Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna removed Jonny Bairstow and Chris Woakes in the space of 12 deliveries, squeezing England to the point where every run felt priceless. The atmosphere crackled until, with the floodlights failing to compensate for thickening cloud, the umpires took the players off. Many in the crowd voiced their displeasure, yet Root accepted the decision without fuss.
“There’s pros and cons to both really,” he said of the stoppage. “Guys have bowled a lot, there’s overs in their legs. You get back out there and you get a couple of boundaries away and all of a sudden the game looks very different again. But then again you come back tomorrow, you get another (use of heavy) roller, (players) can rest up and it’s a completely new opportunity.”
India’s assistant coach Morne Morkel echoed that view. “As we can see it’s pretty wet out there now. It’s going to take them a while to get the covers off. The ground staff has been incredible this whole sort of Test match with breaks and getting the surface ready to play. So end of the day that’s out of our control.”
The heavy roller, available to the batting side at the start of play, has already flattened the surface twice in this match, and England will deploy it again in the morning. Root believes that could tilt the final act in their favour. “In terms of the roller, we’ll see. I haven’t got a crystal ball unfortunately, but it has made an impact so far throughout this game. Whether that changes on day five, we’ll see, but hopefully it works well in our favor in flattening things out.”
From India’s perspective the equation is simple: strike quickly, expose the tail, and claim the last four wickets for under 35. Siraj, Krishna and the ever-threatening Jasprit Bumrah have all found inconsistent bounce to their liking, especially once the lacquer comes off the ball. Yet with the sun forecast to return, the risk for the visitors is that a settled pitch and a resuming Root-Ben Foakes partnership tip the balance rapidly.
Morkel preferred to focus on controllables. “Tomorrow we can just focus on doing a good warm-up and get the boys ready to hopefully get the ball in the right area and yeah, create a little bit of excitement again.”
England’s lower order has contributed throughout the summer: Woakes averages in the mid-30s, Mark Wood can clear the ropes, and Ollie Robinson has shown a straight bat when required. Root trusts them. “The beauty of this team is that everyone feels they can play a part,” he noted. “If the lads stick to their plans and bat the way they have all series, I’m confident we’ll get there.”
Even so, there will be nerves when play resumes. A single mistake could open the door for an India surge; a single boundary could just as quickly silence it. Whatever unfolds, a series that has seesawed for six weeks is set for a fittingly tight finish.
