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46th over: England 206-3 (Root 40, Brook 62) England happy to tick over in singles and twos, the latter of which from Root brings up the 100 partnership and is met with a rousing cheer from the home support.
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45th over: England 203-3 (Root 38, Brook 61) Root and Brook scamper three singles off Siraj. Everyone in the ground well and truly lasered in on this chase now.
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44th over: England 200-3 (Root 37, Brook 59) The England fans in the crowd stand, applaud and cheer as a Brook single off Siraj brings up England’s 200.
Richard Neal is getting his James Bond opening scene on. Bond was definitely an OBO guy.
“Been driving through the French Alps down to the coast, currently passing Marseille. Deprived of other coverage, you’re a lifeline. Here’s hoping Harry is still hitting them huge when we get to Hyeres in an hour!”
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43rd over: England 196-3 (Root 36, Brook 57) Washington Sundar is summoned for a bowl from the Vauxhall End. He’s had a knack of picking up wickets in clumps in this series. How will Harry Brook treat the spin? He and Root both have a look, nudging singles from deep in the crease. Sundar then drops short and is BOSHED away off the back foot by Brook.
Desmond Niall Mullen has got his teeth gritted.
“Hey Jim, India might, like me in university, deserve a 2-2 but, as a wise man once said, deserve’s got nothin’ to do with it.”
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42nd over: England 190-3 (Root 35, Brook 52) India want to bowl at Joe Root and put the pressure on him but he’s such a class act that he picks off the singles and then skims a full ball from Siraj through midwicket for four. Like a pebble across plate glass. England go past the halfway mark in this chase and the Barmy Army are well aware/. Cue some Bon Jovi parps from the trumpeter.
184 runs plays 6 (or 7…) wickets.
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41st over: England 186-3 (Root 31, Brook 52) Brook brings up his fifty off just 38 balls to much acclaim in the crowd. He was on 19 when Siraj spilled him.
“Sat at Waterloo station, recovering from my 12-hour stag-do in Soho last night.” Writes Jim Kerr. “Hopefully this next two hours is gonna stop me from sleeping all the way to Southampton Central.” 12 hours in Soho? Sending solidarity – more than enough to give you a simple mind this Sunday afternoon.
Sorry, it’s been a loooong morning/series.
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40th over: England 181-3 (Root 29, Brook 49) Siraj to start from the Pavilion End with a point to prove and a mistake to atone for. Joe Root oozes class as he glides Siraj down through the needlepoint for four with velvet soft hands. A solid defensive push into the covers elicits another single.
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39th over: England 175-3 (Root 24, Brook 48) A single each to Brook and Root off Krishna before the more vociferous England supporters in the crowd give Siraj a decent serve as he dives onto the sponge to try and stop a Brook flick through midwicket but in vain. Four runs. The lights are on at the Oval, feels very much like bowling conditions. Not that Harry Brook gives a fig, a meaty edge flies right through the gap in the slips and away for four more.
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Righto. Here come the players for the afternoon session. Buckle up knuckleheads.
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“Hello Jim ! On the one hand, I’ve been to eight T20 games this summer, and seen three boundary catches where the fielder has calmly tossed the ball up, stepped over the boundary, stepped back in and completed the catch. It’s a practised routine now. On the other hand, on this ground in 2005, it was the bowler who had carried the visiting attack through five Tests who dropped that catch. Fatigue plays its part.”
Don’t forget this one Tim Sanders, Boult had bowled New Zealand to the brim of the World Cup in 2019. England got over the line that day but I wouldn’t put it past Mohammed Siraj to reduce his drop to a mere footnote and bend this game India’s waythis afternoon with his skill and sheer force of character.
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A lunchtime wade into the OBO mailbag reveals a rapt audience from Helsinki to Hong Kong, Lake Bled, Belize and Brixton. Fan flipping tastic.
How great that we are at lunch on day 24 of this series and it’s still in the balance. In a few hours we’ll know if it is 3-1 to England or a 2-2 draw that India more than deserve.
BIG FIRST HOUR after lunch.
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Lunch: England 164-3 (need 210 more runs to win)
England dine in Hell three down with 210 more runs to get. India need six more wickets (Hello Chris, can you hold a bat?… Chris?)
What a morning of Test cricket that was, we hoped for a barnstorming finish to this series and it seems to be happening.
England plundered 114 runs for the loss of two wickets in that session, something similar this afternoon and it will be game very much on. I’m off for a toke on some smelling salts. Back soon.
38th over: England 164-3 (Root 23, Brook 38)
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Updated at 13.12 BST
Here is the moment of the morning/series:
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37th over: England 162-3 (Root 22, Brook 37) Brook steers a single past point and everyone just chills out a little bit as Joe Root comes on strike and plays out a calm four dots and an easy single off the last. Root is aloe vera to Brook’s screaming sunburn, the end of night kebab to Brook’s ten pints and hugging strangers on the night tube. Hold us, Joe.
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Updated at 13.01 BST
36th over: England 160-3 (Root 21, Brook 36) Siraj’s sponge inflected catch keeps being shown on the big screen to loud cheers from the English. *In case you needed reminding, cricket is a cruel cruel sport*.
Akash Deep slings five wides down the leg side which doesn’t help Shubman Gill’s conniptions. There are five minutes til lunch, I imagine England will just block it out. Cue manic laughter.
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35th over: England 153-3 (Root 20, Brook 35) Ok. It’s all kicking off the Oval. Brook follows up his near miss with a flay over the covers for four and then ramps over the slips entirely deliberately for four more. Sixteen runs off the over. It doesn’t feel sustainable but by flip it’s good fun.
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SIRAJ CATCHES BROOK AND THEN TREADS ON THE BOUNDARY ROPE!
Oh my sweet sweet Lord! Harry Brook swivel pulls Prasidh Krishna but doesn’t quite have the legs, the ball swirls and whirls in the grey South London sky before landing safely in Siraj’s hands at deep fine leg… BUT BUT BUT BUT in taking the catch he stumbles onto the rope! Shades of Trent Boult in the World Cup final, Siraj can’t believe it, the English crowd go doolally! Brook survives and gets a six to boot. I AM CALM!
Fans react as India’s Mohammed Siraj catches England’s Harry Brook but steps onto the boundary line. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The GuardianShare
Updated at 14.16 BST
34th over: England 137-3 (Root 20, Brook 19) The lights come back on at the Oval but the gloam doesn’t mither Harry Brook – Deep drops short and is spanked through midwicket for four and then Brook follows with a charge down the wicket and a spank for SIX. England playing quietly for lunch then… the latter was some shot from Brook, one that has quickly become his trademark. Do not adust your set.
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33rd over: England 126-3 (Root 20, Brook 8) Prasidh is too full to Root and it’s very much a case of don’t bowl there son as the great one pings him through cover for four.
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32nd over: England 121-3 (Root 16, Brook 7) Deep replaces Siraj and stitches together a maiden, allowing me to scurry off and get a vat of Press office Kenco in the process.
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31st over: England 121-3 (Root 16, Brook 7) Brook plays with hard hands at a length ball outside off and squirts an edge past the cordon for four.
GET US A COLD ONE THEN ROSS?! Ah OK… a quote from Homer will have to do I suppose.
Hi James, I’m keeping up to date from a little taverna on the shores of Syros in the Aegean.
I’ve just ordered a second beer following Pope’s wicket, and am wondering is this a Herculean effort required now, or completely within Root and Brook’s arc? Hard to know with Bazball, but as Homer said (roughly):
“Let us not die ingloriously and without struggle, but let us first do some great thing that shall be told among men hereafter.”
Having said that, I’m not sure there are any Homeric lines on the virtue of a draw after 6 weeks of battle?”
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Updated at 12.38 BST
30th over: England 114-3 (Root 15, Brook 1) Siraj into his eighth over on the spin. He’s been the star bowler in this series and the only one that has stayed the distance – playing in every Test (with apologies to Chris Woakes). He’s incredibly skilful, getting the ball to talk on surfaces both dead and alive, all the while appearing like there’s nowhere else he’d rather be and giving it absolutely everything. Getting in the opposition’s face with a smile on his own. What a player. All flowers to him as they say these days.
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29th over: England 113-3 (Root 14, Brook 1) Root unfurls a perfect cover drive off Krishna. “Talk nah Pradeep”.
“If England could just imagine Ben Stokes is on the field, in their ears, cajoling, supporting, advising them, they’d be half way to an improbable victory.”
He very much is looming over proceedings on the Oval balcony, Andrew Benton. England need something Stokesian now. You feel like this is the crucial partnership between Root and Brook. It could all be over quickly if one of them falls before lunch.
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28th over: England 108-3 (Root 8, Brook 0) Siraj starts with a bouncer to Brook. ‘Arry needs a score here. He’s got 99 and a ton in the series but England need him to show his full talent, put his money where his mouth is and get a significant score.
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WICKET! Pope lbw b Mohammed Siraj 27 (England 106-3)
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, Siraj scuds one in to Ollie Pope’s pad and the Surrey man has to go! It kept a little low and pranged him in front of leg stump. Pope knows it but takes a review with him.
Oh, here comes Harry Brook. This’ll be nice and calm for everyone then.
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27th over: England 101-2 (Pope 27, Root 3)Shot! A collective coo goes around the ground as Pope drives Krishna back down the ground for four and then clips sublimely off his pads for another boundary through midwicket. Fout more! A pull traces away across the baize and the sun comes out on cue! What was in the ginger ninja’s drink? I’ll have what he’s having. The Barmy Army trumpeter parps up with ‘Feeling hot hot hot’. Scenes.
That’s the hundred up for England. 273 more to go.
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26th over: England 87-2 (Pope 13, Root 3) Phew. A nerve jangling first hour comes to a close with a Mo Siraj maiden. The bowler is convinced Root got a tickle behind to a length ball that ducked in but Gill and Jadeja consult with Jurel and decide not to review. Wisely, DRS shows there was nowt doing. Time for a drink. Speaking of which…
“Hi Jimbo
Hopefully the sunshiiiiiiiiiiiiiine’s on England today otherwise this series could slide away which isn’t part of the Bazterplan.
Yours biblically, a Wembley bound Gary and Pam Stableford.”
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25th over: England 87-2 (Pope 13, Root 3) Root survives a HUGE appeal from Krishna and the cordon! A full ball that jagged back and hit him on the knee roll. An achingly long wait before the umpire shakes his head. India thought they had their man there. DRS shows it was clipping leg stump enough to be Umpires’s call but India didn’t send it upstairs. A heart in mouth maiden for both sides.
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24th over: England 86-2 (Pope 13, Root 3) Knife edge stuff, it’s gone very gloomy and India can smell wickets in the murk. Root and Pope do well to weather an accurate over from Siraj, rotating strike for three singles.
Thanks for all your emails – keep them coming in.
“Hey, James. It’s Prakhar from India. I want to make a trade here. I don’t want Root to perform well today but I want him to have the ‘series of his life’ in a few months in Australia. Are you okay with this trade?”
NO DEAL!
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23rd over: England 83-2 (Pope 12, Root 1) Joe Root is the new man. He sprints onto the Oval turf to a chorus of Rooooots. Reckon Krishna might have a little word in his ear? See if he can get a rise. You would, wouldn’t you? England need a Joseph Edward Root special right here, right now. Root… is off the mark first ball with a single clipped to leg.
It’s gone a bit gloomy in South London. The lights have come on. England’s flame is flickering.
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WICKET! Duckett c Rahul b Prasidh Krishna 54 (England 82-2)
GONE GONE GONE! Duckett flashes a drive at new bowler Prasidh Krishna and gets a meaty edge that is swallowed by KL Rahul in the cordon. India celebrate with tons of gusto, Gill haring across the outfield with hand raised like peak Alan Shearer. That’s a big wicket.
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22nd over: England 82-1 (Duckett 54, Pope 12) Duckett goes to fifty with a fortunate edge wide of the cordon and away for four. He raises his bat somewhat sheepishly, aware there is plenty more to do. England’s target is hauled below three hundred.
Roving/Rotter Reporter Jake Farrell flings his first missive from the Bedser lower stand here at the Oval.
“Kuldeep Yadav is holding court. Almost prompted Beatles-esque fainting by offering an unprompted “Morning ladies” to a couple of punters. Now talking the ear off some kind of security guard in military garb. Very very #classy stuff. Has the air of a proud father of the bride at a wedding, taking it all in.”
Dear Old Kuldeep would do a job today I reckon. Curly Charlie Chaplin Curtains bouncing, ball fizzing. Both teams have been guilty of some puddled selection.
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21st over: England 75-1 (Duckett 47, Pope 12) Duckett cuts Deep like Cat Stevens/Sheryl Crow depending on your age/preference. Two runs to the score. England whittling away. Deep sends down a bouncer that the wee man has a flap at and is lucky not to feather to Jurel.
“Morning Jim. All four results possible but surely an Indian win is the most likely. Ollie Pope will need a few miracles today, not least his own batting, which is a meagre 18 in 4th innings. Like Steve Smith, but without the good first 3 before it. You hope his love for the Oval may help. You sense that him out early puts all the pressure on Root and Brook again. Lots of things will need to go right. I’m bricking it!”
You and a few others too no doubt, Guy Hornsby.
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20th over: England 72-1 (Duckett 44, Pope 12) Runs! Duckett clobbers a Siraj half volley through mid-off for four and then glances off his hips for a second boundary in the over. Each cheered wildly. Fair to say England’s fans at the side of me Believe like Cher in ‘97.
In other news, get yourself a wife who texts you like Mark Funnell’s:
Hi James, camping on the north Cornish coast with my son, I didn’t have any signal for much of yesterday on Porthcothan beach. When we got back to campsite, I recoiled with horror at India’s score. After seeing England’s blistering start, I dropped my wife a text to check whether she was watching. She WhatsApp video’d me to show me what was happening in the game – in real time. The very next ball Siraj bowled that searing Yorker to clean Crawley up. I felt a little sick. She laughed. It was like SHE KNEW IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.”
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19th over: England 61-1 (Duckett 39, Pope 6) Pope and Duckett steal a couple of singles into the covers. To rollocking applause.
“The first day of cricket I’m away from the TV and its turned out to be the most important of them. You must summon the spirit of all OBOers past and present to deliver the most vivid OBO to grace my eyes – something you’re well able for I’ve no doubt.”
I’m not sure about that Rowan Tewari… but Taha is on later on.
“On a more serious note, what a truly incredible series we’ve seen. For all those watching, this is the last day to truly sit down with your mates and savour every drive, caught behind and run-out this series has left to offer. I personally hope Siraj takes the last wicket of a dogged English resistance at 6pm after a bail swap à la Stuart Broad. And to the OBO, i’m eternally grateful for your coverage.”
Sit down with your mates? Madness. Darkened room more like. And the pleasure is all ours. Thanks for tuning in.
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18th over: England 59-1 (Duckett 38, Pope 5) Rinse and repeat! Duckett is beaten FOUR times in the over by Siraj. Four. (That’s insane etc etc). Siraj has his dander well and truly up (when doesn’t he?) and is getting the ball to dance off this day four surface. Two of those four were absolute snorters, jagging off the surface and cutting Duckett in two like a bearded and pint sized Debbie McGee. (ask your da). A maiden, obviously.
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17th over: England 59-1 (Duckett 38, Pope 5) Akash is probing, just a single to Duckett off the over. If England bat through this first session unscathed then India will start to get a bit jittery. Shubman Gill’s captaincy has not been the most robust in his first Test series, England will want him sweating under his baggy blue this afternoon.
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16th over: England 58-1 (Duckett 37, Pope 5) Duckett clubs a single to point. Eeeeesht! Pope drives uppishly and with little control and the ball skims just short of the man at cover before tracing away across the square for four. Cue a nervy gasp and then throaty cheer from the England fans. Settle down Ollie lad.
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15th over: England 53-1 (Duckett 36, Pope 1) Akash Deep starts from the Vauxhall End to his old mate and cuddle chum Ben Duckett. Ahem. The pint sized batter clips off his ribs to get a single and Pope gets off the mark with an inside edge to square leg. Early signs of some in-swing. Deep gets some more movement to Duckett who gets a thicker edge past the infield for another single.
How are your nerves? It’s all a bit much for Paul in Brazil:
“Hi. Deep breaths, can they? Will they ? More deep breaths. An enjoyable day ahead!”
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14th over: England 50-1 (Duckett 34, Pope 0) Pope defends the first ball of the day solidly to mid-off. Cue a huge cheer from the England fans in the ground. It’s a sell out here at the Oval and I reckon a fifty/fifty split between England and India fans. The atmosphere is fan-flippin-tastic.
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Updated at 11.06 BST
Right, the players are out there, Jerusalem swirls down the Harleyford Road. Mohammed Siraj has one ball left to complete his over from last evening. Ollie Pope is on strike. Let’s play!
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“Hi James, keen to know why Woakes cannot be subbed now he’s retired hurt? Surely it’s only fair for England to have a full Second Innings? I’m obviously missing some arcane cricketing law, can you enlighten me please?”
It’s exactly that Chris Aird, a player is currently only allowed a sub for a concussion injury. The debate has been swirling in this series due to Pant and Woakes getting crocked in the early stages of Test’s 4 and 5. Injury replacements are due to be trialled by some first class boards later in the year… but as I argued in this week’s Spin, injury replacements aren’t perhaps as straightforward as you’d think.
PLUG ALERT:
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“Hello Jim”
G’morning OBO stalwart Krishnamoorthy.
“Another Test series coming to an end which is making sure that Test cricket is alive and kicking in the dark times of T20. Probably this is the first Test in this series that is not going to the last session of day 5.
It does not matter if it is 3-1 or 2-2 , the winner is cricket and India has a wonderful core around which it can surely build itself into a formidable team. Today’s battle is going to be between the determination of the Indian team vs one J E Root”
About time Root got a score. My money is on Brook and Bethell romping it home*.
*It absolutely isn’t. But it could be.
(It isn’t)
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The Indian players are out on the outfield here at the Oval, the bowlers getting those shoulders loose and the catchers getting their fingers warm. I have them down as overwhelming favourites today, yesterday England seemed a spent force and suffered their worst day of the series. The wicket of Crawley last thing tipped the scales still further in the visitor’s favour.
But the great thing about Test cricket and this England side is you just never know. They could go down in a ball of flames before lunch or take it right down to the wire. Remember they knocked off a similar target serenely in Leeds but that was twenty long days of cricket ago. C’mon then, fling me your predictions.
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Matthew Doherty emails in with if not the 64 million dollar question then certainly a question.
“Hello James, who do you think England’s Jessop is today?”
All roads lead to Jamie Overton.
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Our main man Ali Martin has the skinny on what will happen in the result of a drawn Anderson-Tendulkar:
In the event of 2-2, told the two teams will share the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy (a new trophy, which has replaced the now retired Pataudi and AdM trophies)
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) August 3, 2025
Here’s his take on a galling Saturday for England:
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England’s performance in the field yesterday was more chaotic than the basket of a Sunday morning Lime bike basket. A discarded vape here, six (SIX) dropped catches there. Is that a splodge of fruit and nut bar? Please tell me it’s fruit and nut bar… Oh look that’s definitely five wides.
Would it have happened if Ben Stokes was prowling at short cover with his fatherly death stare? We’ll never know. But we sort of already do.
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Updated at 10.48 BST
Preamble
James Wallace
It’s been 144 hours and 24 days, since that sun soaked Test at Headingley (ahh ahhh ahh ahhhhhh)
Test cricket. Nothing compares 2 U. As we stare down the barrel of a high summer sold to the money men we have one last day of the really good stuff to savour and this series is on the line.
England need to knock off 324 runs to win it 3-1 but after Zak Crawley had his off stump splattered by the indomitable Mohammed Siraj with the last ball of play yesterday and with Chris Woakes sporting a sling, India (probably) need just eight wickets to do the business and level things up at 2-2.
Its been a punishing series. One full of great moments rather than being truly great but it deserves a grandstand finish. There are some weary minds and bodies here at the Oval this August Sunday morning (and that’s just the press pack arf-arf)
So, for what is surely the last time in Tests this summer, come take the OBOs re-assuring hand and let’s see this thing out together.
Play starts at 11am. Get in touch why dontcha.
(*IMHO -but what do you think?)
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