Siraj strikes for India as England's Brook rides his luck in Oval thriller / Photo: HENRY NICHOLLS - AFP
Siraj strikes for India as England's Brook rides his luck in Oval thriller
Mohammed Siraj struck again for India before England's Harry Brook counter-attacked in style as a dramatic fifth and deciding Test at the Oval remained in the balance on Sunday.
England were 164-3 at lunch on the fourth day, still needing a further 210 runs to reach a huge victory target of 374 that would give them a 3-1 series win.
Joe Root, the world's top-ranked Test batsman, was 23 not out, with Yorkshire teammate Brook riding his luck during an unbeaten 38 featuring four fours and two sixes.
Brook struck 27 runs in the space of eight balls, having come in with England 106-3 after Siraj had stand-in England captain Ollie Pope lbw for 27.
The talented Brook charged down the pitch to loft Akash Deep for an extraordinary six over cover despite heavy cloud cover in London favouring India's quicks.
But he almost holed out to fine leg off Prasidh Krishna only for Siraj, right back on the boundary, unable to stop himself taking a pace backwards when completing the catch. By stepping onto the rope, Siraj transformed a dismissal into another six.
England resumed on 50-1 after Siraj yorked Zak Crawley with the last ball of Saturday's play.
Ben Duckett was 34 not out and Pope, leading England in place of the injured Ben Stokes, yet to face.
Left-hander Duckett was repeatedly beaten by fast bowler Siraj, who has appeared in every match of a gruelling series.
He continued to fend outside off stump and it was no surprise when he fell for 54 after edging an intended drive off Krishna to second slip, with KL Rahul holding a sharp catch to leave England 82-2.
But Pope hit three fours in one Krishna over with an on-drive followed by a clip through midwicket and a forceful pull.
Siraj, however, had Pope plumb lbw for 27 with a ball that kept a touch low and nipped back.
Siraj's 20th wicket of the series made him the leading bowler on either side.
India posted 396 in their second innings on Saturday. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal made a sparkling 118 and Washington Sundar smashed a quickfire 53 late in the day.
History is against the hosts as no side have made more to win in the fourth innings of a Test at the Oval than England's 263 in a one-wicket victory over Australia in 1902.
But England chased down 371 for a five-wicket win in the opener at Headingley.
T.Wright--EWJ
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