Bad weather sends Oval Test to Day 5 after India hang in there following wickets of centurions Brook, Root

35 runs, three (maybe, four) wickets, who look favourites? With a proper batter in Jamie Smith in and guys like Jamie Overton and Gus Atkinson still left, it would be hard to argue against England being in front, but with wickets of Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell and Joe Root in the last couple of hours, India have hung around like a bad smell in the ongoing series decider at the Oval. England would have fancied their chance to knock off those 35 runs quickly, but the London weather had other ideas, forcing an early stumps on Sunday, August 3.

It was a strange day where it looked as the the game could end an hour into the post-tea session but a flurry of wickets forced the England lower order to tighten up their defence and the scoring dried up. The bad light and heavy rain then came into the picture, but until that point, it seemed a one-way traffic with Harry Brook and Joe Root latching on to anything loose, and there was a lot, given the Indian pace trio was drained and juiced out with multiple long spells.

The day started with Prasidh Krishna dismissing the overnight set batter Ben Duckett in a huge early breakthrough for the visitors on Day 4. Mohammed Siraj, a few overs later, accounted for the stand-in captain for England, Ollie Pope, to make it India's session. However, the dropped chance, the Siraj-stepping-onto-the-boundary-rope chance after catching Harry Brook, probably was the turning point of the session and the white-ball captain came out with real intent.

Brook's counter-attack put India on the back foot, disrupting their bowling plans, somewhat on the lines of what the openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett did in the first innings. Brook was brutal. In the over, the catch-six drama took place, he got 16 off it and just never stopped.

Brook brought up a 91-ball century while Joe Root kept going at the other end, with yet another dogged effort. Root brought up his 39th century, going past Kumar Sangakkara and it seemed like the duo will take England past the finishing line. Brook's ultra-aggressiveness finally gave way for India to strike through Akash Deep and post tea, Prasidh Krishna and Siraj went on a barrage of inswingers into pads.

Krishna struck twice, including the big wicket of Root and the game was open yet again. There was a belief that something could still happen. Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton played and edged a few, but they have to score 35 runs still against slightly fresh Indian bowlers and has set up a fascinating Day 5, which has been the case in all five matches.