On Day 4, England dominated a better part of the proceedings as they got close to the target. While Harry Brook disrupted the line and length of Indian bowlers with his attacking strokeplay, Joe Root played the anchor role in the 195-run partnership for the fourth wicket. As Root departed after scoring his 13th Test hundred against India, bowling coach Morne Morkel was relieved.
“Joe’s given us sleepless nights. So yes, I was very happy when we got him out,” Morkel said in the post-day press conference.
Root scored 105 runs from 152 balls, featuring 12 fours. He lost his wicket to Prasidh Krishna, edging one to wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel. He was the last to fall on Day 3. England added just two more runs to the board before bad light and rain stopped play.
England are 339/6 from 76.2 overs. They need another 35 runs to win the series with wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith and pace-bowling all-rounder Jamie Overton in the middle. If England chase down the target of 374, it will be the highest successful run chase at The Kennington Oval, London. On the other hand, India need four wickets to level the series 2-2.
Will Chris Woakes bat on Day 5?
After Day 4’s play was cut-short, Root revealed that an injured Chris Woakes will come out to bat if needed.
"Clearly, he's in a huge amount of pain having done what he's done. It just shows, as we've seen from other guys in this series - [Rishabh] Pant batting with a broken foot, guys taking all sorts of blows here and there - but it means a huge amount to him,” Root said.
"It just shows the character and the person that he's willing to put his body on the line like that for England, and hopefully - well, hopefully he doesn't have to, but if it does come to that - get us across the line and win us an incredible series."
Root’s numbers in Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025
Root finished as the second-highest run-scorer in the series, only below India's young captain Shubman Gill. The 34-year-old scored 537 runs from nine innings at an average of 67.12, including three centuries and one half-century.