No team have successfully chased over 300 at The Oval (the highest is 263), so, when India posted a target of 368 for England, they seemed to have the game under their fist. But Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed showed incredible restraint as England walked into the day at 77/0, unscathed.
They need another 291 to win this game. The pitch has largely been unresponsive to fast bowlers, and England may fancy hunting down the total to take a 2-1 lead in the series. But over the course of four days, the fortune of game has swung both ways. India will yearn for those moments on Day 5.
Hameed is on 43 and Burns on 31. Hameed was proactive at the crease, seizing every opportunity to send loose balls to the fences. Ravindra Jadeja bowled 13 overs but could not pose any threat.
James Anderson and Ollie Robinson started the attack for England in the morning. There was no lateral movements on the offer, neither was the bounce unpredictable, and both bowlers looked insipid. Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja did well to survive their initial bursts.
But it all changed after Chris Woakes’ intervention. Woakes pinned Jadeja leg-before, and in his next over, he got the out-of-form Ajinkya Rahane for a duck. India were reduced to 296/5.
Virat Kohli then edged one off Moeen Ali to get out on 44. But the match swung again, as Rishabh Pant and Shardul Thakur forged a 100-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Thakur struck his second fifty of the match, while Pant, who has struggled a lot, brought his first of the tour.
Thakur’s innings was full of aesthetically pleasant strokes. He made 60 in 72 balls before falling to Joe Root. Pant then ended up becoming Moeen’s third wicket. Umesh Yadav (25*) and Jasprit Bumrah (24), too, chipped in with handy contributions.
Brief Scores: India 191 (Shardul Thakur 50; Chris Woakes 4-45) and 476 (Rohit Sharma 127; Chris Woakes 3-83) lead England 290 (Ollie Pope 81; Umesh Yadav 3-76) by 171 runs and 77/0 (Haseeb Hameed 43*) by 291 runs