The fifth and final Test between India and England at The Oval will head into a decisive Day 5, after bad light and rain brought an early end to play on Day 4. England looked in complete control post-Tea, but India bounced back dramatically, reducing the hosts from 301/3 to 337/6.

England, now within touching distance of a record chase of 374, need just 37 runs, while India require four wickets to square the series and retain the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

Both centurions—Harry Brook and Joe Root—were dismissed during this phase, injecting new life into the match. Earlier in the day, India’s hopes had dimmed after a costly fielding error by Mohammed Siraj allowed Brook a reprieve, which he capitalised on fully.

However, Siraj made partial amends with two wickets, while Prasidh Krishna’s three strikes helped claw India back into the game. 

England off to a solid start

Chasing a target of 374 runs set by India, England got off to a solid start. Their first breakthrough came when Zak Crawley was dismissed for just 14, with the team score at 50.

Soon after, Ben Duckett, who contributed a valuable 54 runs, also fell. Ollie Pope followed next, falling to Mohammed Siraj after scoring 27 runs, giving India a glimmer of hope.

At that point, the momentum appeared to be shifting towards Team India. However, a game-changing 195-run stand off just 211 balls between Joe Root and Harry Brook completely turned the tide. Both batters scored brilliant centuries, swinging the match decisively in England’s favour.

IND vs ENG 5th Test – Playing XIs

India Playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj

England Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (c), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue.