Harry Brook and Joe Root both hit hundreds before England’s series finale against India was left on a knife edge after an Oval downpour cut short Sunday’s fourth day.
England were 339-6 when play was abandoned at 1703 GMT, with the hosts needing a further 35 runs to reach a target of 374 on Monday’s final day.
India, meanwhile, require four wickets to end this thrilling five-match series level at 2-2.
England were faltering at 106-3 following the loss of stand-in captain Ollie Pope.
But the Yorkshire duo of Brook (111) and Root (105) turned the tide with a fourth-wicket stand of 195 that left England cruising to a 3-1 series win with more than a day to spare.
But Brook’s exit sparked a mini-collapse that saw England lose three wickets for 36 runs, with Root also unable to finish the job.
And when bad light halted play at 1630 GMT, England were wobbling, with Jamie Smith (two not out) and Jamie Overton (nought not out) struggling for runs.
A huge downpour then effectively prevented any hope of a resumption Sunday.
“It is quite fitting for how the rest of the series has gone,” Root told the BBC.
“We are in for a cracker for tomorrow. It is a weird one going into the fifth day with the sun out now but it will be a great finish.”
The most any side have made in the fourth innings to win a Test at the Oval is England’s 263 in a one-wicket victory over Australia back in 1902.
Aggressive batting has been a cornerstone of England’s approach to Test cricket since captain Ben Stokes, ruled out of this match with a shoulder injury, and coach Brendon McCullum joined forces in 2022.
England started this series with the 10th highest successful run chase in Test history after they knocked off a target of 371 for a five-wicket win over India in the opener at Headingley in June.
Brook made an immediate impact when he came out to bat on Sunday, at one stage hitting 27 runs in the space of eight balls.
The talented 26-year-old charged down the pitch to loft Akash Deep for an extraordinary six over cover despite heavy cloud cover in London favouring India’s quicks.
He almost holed out to fine leg off Prasidh Krishna but Mohammed Siraj was unable to stop himself stepping onto the boundary rope, which meant a six for Brook.
India captain Shubman Gill let the game drift and it was not until the 43rd over, with England 190-3, that he introduced spin — in the shape of Washington Sundar.
But neither off-spinner Sundar or left-armer Ravindra Jadeja made much impact against two well-set batsmen, who took just 108 balls to complete a century partnership.
Brook went to 98 when Deep misfielded a drive on the rope to concede a boundary.
Next ball a two to third man took Brook to a 91-ball century, including 12 fours and two sixes, his second of the series.
Brook’s innings ended in appropriately spectacular fashion when, going for another big hit off Deep, his bat flew out of his hands. As the blade soared towards square leg, the ball looped to mid-off where Siraj held the catch.
Root’s typically elegant straight-driven four off Siraj took him to 98 not out at tea, with the former England captain completing his 39th Test century following the interval, reaching the landmark in 137 balls, including 12 fours.
The recalled Jacob Bethell lost his wicket when he charged down the pitch to Krishna only to be clean bowled for five as his middle stump went flying.
Root then fell soon afterwards, when caught behind flicking at a Krishna delivery to leave England 337-6.
England resumed Sunday on 50-1 after Siraj yorked Zak Crawley with the last ball of Saturday’s play.
Ben Duckett, 34 not out overnight, fell for 54 after edging an intended drive off Krishna to KL Rahul at second slip before Pope was plumb lbw for 27 to Siraj.
AFP
