Trisha Ghosal in London
When Joe Root and Harry Brook walked out after lunch at 164 for 3, needing 210 runs to script history, the task ahead looked mountainous. England have always been strong in chases, but 374 on this surface seemed a different kind of challenge altogether.
Brook made his intentions clear in the very first over after lunch. He was on the charge. On 19, he offered India a chance, Mohammed Siraj misjudged his position at the boundary and it was a six. A few balls after lunch, Brook slashed hard at a short, wide delivery. With only one slip in place, the ball flew between slip and gully to the fence. Poor field placement, capitalised.
What followed was a flurry of runs. Root and Brook added them rapidly. The bowlers produced the occasional good delivery, but none sustained enough pressure. As the overs ticked by, fatigue began to show. Akash Deep appeared hampered by shoulder pain. Siraj wore a knee brace, his body clearly feeling the toll of a long, grinding series. The Indian captain, even with the old ball, couldn’t turn to his spinners. To be fair, neither is in the XI for their bowling. They’ve earned their spot with the bat and have delivered.
While Day 2 and Day 3’s second sessions had seen swing, seam, and stiff resistance for the batters, today was a stark contrast. The pitch stayed true, the sun stayed hidden, and the ball did nothing. Neither spin nor pace could worry the English batters.
Brook brought up his 14th Test fifty in just 37 balls, barely raising his bat. He knew the job was far from done. Root, at the other end, was calm and precise. It was a typical Root innings, composed and thoughtful. He let Brook take centre stage, choosing instead to be the pivot around whom the innings could revolve.
The Kia Oval was shrouded in gloom, mirroring the faces of Indian players on the field and their team management in the dressing room. The pitch remained flat. The ball, unresponsive. The bowlers, out of ideas.
While Brook dazzled with flair, Root quietly brought up his 67th Test fifty. One of the marks of a great batter is delivering when the team needs it most. Once again, Root stood tall.
India tried various tactics, short balls, strategic field shifts, even persuading the umpires to change the ball but nothing shifted the momentum.
And then, Brook, the face of Bazball, showed the world why England rate him so highly. He came in with the team wobbling slightly and India with their tails up. But with his 91-ball hundred, Brook not only calmed nerves but powered England towards a famous win.
Brook’s ton was the third-fastest by an England batter against India in Tests, behind Jamie Smith (80 balls) and Ben Duckett (88 balls).
India have dominated most sessions in this series. But when it comes to the clutch moments, they’ve repeatedly lost and lost them hard. So hard, in fact, that there’s been little chance to recover. Just before tea, India finally removed Brook. In trying to finish the game early, he went hard at Akash. Attempting to slap a short ball, he lost control of the bat and his wicket. Siraj, who had dropped him on 19, made no mistake this time at mid-off. The damage was done, Brook had added 100 more runs to that 19.
Root was overnight on 99 in the second innings at Lord’s, came back got a 100 and that century was match defining. Here again at tea, Root is 98 not out, an innings which has taken England inches close to a historic win.
The target at tea down to just 57. Watching Brook’s innings, the writer was reminded of Jonny Bairstow at Edgbaston in 2022. Back then, she was just a spectator, helplessly watching Bairstow dismantle India from the stands. Three years on, seated in the press box, she now watches Brook do something hauntingly similar. England had chased 378 then. Today, it’s 374.
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