Rain in the evening session pushed the series deciding final Test to day five after a down and out India managed to stay in the game yet again following fine hundreds from Joe Root and Harry Brook that almost sealed the contest for England.
Like it has been the case through the English summer, a spirited India found a way to fight back through their undeterred spirit after England needed just 57 runs to complete the chase at tea.
Root (105) and Brook (111 off 98) were running away with the contest but Mohammed Siraj and Co refused to give up post the break.
While Brook was dismissed before tea, Root was caught behind off Prasidh Krishna after the lanky Indian pacer had found the stumps of a struggling Jacob Bethell, leaving the home team at 337 for six.
Root got out soon after racking up his 39th Test hundred, 13th versus India and third of the series.
The old ball which was not doing a thing in the afternoon session started aiding the pacers and the scoreboard hardly moved. Suddenly the remaining 37 runs seemed a long way off.
Jamie Overton and Jamie Smith were in the middle when bad light stopped play with the momentum in India’s favour. England were 339 for six and new ball just 3.4 overs away. Rain followed soon, taking the match to day five.
In the afternoon session, an epic 195-run stand off 211 balls between Brook and Root took the wind out India’s sails as England coasted to 317 for four at tea.
It was the second hundred of the series for Brook, who displayed special ball striking abilities under extreme pressure. He made most of a life given on on 19 when Mohammed Siraj stumbled to the boundary ropes after taking his catch off Prasidh Krishna.
The three Indian pacers could not much out of the pitch with a softer ball and the two spinners Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja too proved ineffective although to be fair to them they weren't given lengthy spells.
The short ball tactic was also employed but the carry off the old ball was comfortably negotiated by Brook and Root.
The drooping shoulders on the field were most visible when Brook creamed Akash Deep through the cover for a boundary. However, two balls later Brook stepped out to smash the bowler over cover but ended up losing his bat and was caught by Siraj at mid-off.
While Brook was all brute force, Root collected his runs in his typical effortless manner. He got to 98 with back-to-back fours off Siraj including a majestic straight.
In the morning session, Siraj bowled another lion hearted spell of eight overs as India took two timely wickets to leave England on 164 for three at lunch on day four of the final Test here on Sunday.
Having dismissed Zak Crawley on the last ball of the day three, Siraj started the proceedings alongside Akash Deep. Like the first innings, Siraj put his hand up and produced a fiery spell where he troubled Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope.
However, it was Prasidh Krishna who provided the opening breakthrough of the day when he drew Duckett into the drive and had him caught at second slip on what was his fourth ball of the morning.
Siraj too was rewarded for his relentless approach when he trapped Pope in front for the second time in the game with a sharp nip backer off a wobbled seam. Pope had just found his groove, having collected three fours off Prasidh before being dismissed in the following over.
Root looked solid in the middle and executed two regal cover drives off Siraj.
Harry Brook was his usual attacking self and was handed a reprieve when Siraj caught him at fine leg off Prasidh but ended up stepping on the ropes to concede six runs.
Before that, Brook stepped out to Akash Deep and dispatched him for a six over cover.
Like Siraj, Prasidh also bowled eight overs on the trot, giving his all on potentially the final day of a grueling five match series.
England resumed the day at 50 for one, needing another 324 runs for an improbable win. The highest chase at this ground is 263 achieved by England back in 1902.
