Despite putting in a promising performance with the ball on Day 4, India stand on the verge of defeat in the Oval Test. The defeat will see them not only lose the match but also the series 3-1. Even though the Men in Blue have won majority of the sessions in the series, they are still behind the hosts, who need just 35 runs to emerge victorious in London and still have four wickets in hand.
After the conclusion of Day 4, cricket expert Harsha Bhogle described the fifth Test as a tennis match where one team has won more matches while the other has won more sets.
"It is a bit like a tennis score. Isn't it? That one team has won more games, the other has won more sets. If you add up all games, it is a bit like that. A strange one this," Bhogle said on Sony Sports.
In reply, legendary India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar stated that even though it has been quite a close series, if the Shubman Gill-led side end up losing the fifth Test, then England will undoubtedly be the better team.
"It is. You could say that. But at at end of the day, it is the result that matters. Unless India win this game and level the series. You will have to say that England were the better team," Gavaskar replied.
England looked certain to win the match on Day 4
Though it looked like the match will get settled on the fourth day itself, rain in the final session left the officials with no choice but to stop play, taking the game to the fifth and final day. Despite losing some key wickets in quick succession, the Three Lions looked to be in control of the match, however the weather ended up ruining their chances of winning the match on Day 4.
Centuries from Joe Root and Harry Brook had gotten England to a very strong position on the fourth day. The duo formed a massive partnership of 195 runs, hammering Indian bowlers all around the stadium. It was Akash Deep who finally broke the partnership by dismissing Brook for 111, leaving the hosts on 301/4. Then, Prasidh Krishna got the wickets of Root and Jacob Bethell in quick succession, restricting England to 337/6. The action will resume on Day 5 with Jamie Smith unbeaten on 2 and Jamie Overton yet to open his account. It remains to be seen which side will come out on top in the already gruelling fifth Test.