Rohan Chowdhury, The Oval
Day 4 began with a solitary delivery from Mohammad Siraj, the final ball of the over that remained after Zak Crawley’s dismissal the previous evening. By lunch at The Oval, England were 164 for 3. They still need 210 runs to win, while India require just six more wickets, especially with Chris Woakes unlikely to bat due to injury.
With the sun out early over Vauxhall, conditions in the first hour looked ideal for batting. England, banking on those conditions, opted for the heavy roller in the morning. Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope resumed play with a steady approach. However, despite their composure, there were moments of uncertainty — balls beating the bat, flirting with edges, once the conditions became overcast slowly — that on another day might have carried to the slips or keeper. But luck favoured the batters early on, particularly Duckett, as the partnership began to grow.
One of the defining moments of the session came when Harry Brook, on 19, lofted a shot toward long leg that looked to be a certain wicket. Mohammed Siraj took the catch, but in the process stepped on the boundary rope. What was a cheer from the Indian fans turned into stunned silence, and disbelief from Prasidh Krishna, who thought the breakthrough was his. A lucky escape for Brook, and an unfortunate moment for Siraj.
But it was Prasidh who made the breakthrough for India in the day. After probing Duckett repeatedly outside off stump, he finally drew the edge with a fuller delivery. KL Rahul, sharp at second slip, made no mistake.
Soon after, Siraj dealt another blow, this time to the England captain. From a wide angle, he brought the ball in sharply to trap Pope in front. The umpire’s finger went up immediately, and a DRS review couldn’t save Pope. It was plumb.
As both sides headed to the pavilion for lunch, the session feels finely balanced. India picked up two crucial wickets, but missed several close opportunities — some luck, some faults, that could have swung the match decisively in their favour. With just six wickets standing between them and victory, India will hope the afternoon brings more reward. For England, survival and resilience are the watchwords — and perhaps, just a touch more luck.
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