England v India: fifth men’s cricket Test, day four – live

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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!”

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.

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!

“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:

“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)

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.

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.

Our main man Ali Martin has the skinny on what will happen in the result of a drawn Anderson-Tendulkar:

Here’s his take on a galling Saturday for England:

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.

Preamble

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?)