England reach 77/0 at stumps on Day 4 in pursuit of a target of 368 runs against India

[Manunited18]

England need to bat sensibly for 2 sessions if possible, and if they have 6-7 wickets in hand going in to the final session then we can't rule out a outside chance of a win. Rory and Hameed were excellent in that last session.

 

[MenInG]

Day 4 highlights

[utube]WFbnOKOW__s[/utube]

 

[90MPH]

Good session for England but India still slight favourites in my opinion.

Chasing 350 is very difficult and happens very rarely in Test cricket.

However the pitch is a belter and seems like a graveyard for the fast bowlers at the moment.

First session tomorrow will crucial for both teams but overall I will say India 60% chance of winning, 30% Draw and England winning 10%.

 

[sam_ahm]

Burns has such an awkward stance, keeps dancing till the bowler bowls.

English commentators were saying he has weak vision in his right eye, so he tries to see the ball first with his left eye hence adjusts his head position before he sees it with both eyes...I mean i didn't understand fully but they were saying Something like that.

 

[gazza619]

no doesnt look anything like a day 5 pitch.More of a day 1 subcontinent pitch

The pitch will misbehave for sure tomorrow. Perhaps sometimes after lunch. One wicket will bring 3.

India just needs to hold on to their catches and use DRS wisely.

 

[Robert]

Root,Bairstow,Woakes all can bat quick.Reverse the %

If England get to 200-2 I might start to believe.

I think two of the top four will have to get centuries.

 

[fight_club]

Hubris and Oval (4th Test India vs England)

At the end of day 4, I was wondering which team will sleep easy? Your guess is as good as mine.


I am just loving the battle between two evenly matched test teams.

Both, seem to possess top notch pacers, Volatile and below par batters Captains who can lose it occasionally and both teams guilty of some questionable selections.

Oh ! Pardon me to overlook Jarvo69 factor but fans from both teams will agree that they have seen crazier and funnier things on fields from both teams to make any out of space event redundant.

Alright, Day 5 and a Team has to chase 291 in 90 overs with Required rate of 3 point something. Generally one would take England win out of equation and think of other two results. The problem is apple didn't fell on Kohli head and he outrageously still left out Ashwin and his nice pair of headphone.

I can make a safe prediction that Camera will Pan more often on him tomorrow if things goes south for India. He will surely make a lovely spectator with that lovely earphone.

It will a be a question of who will crack first, doesn't look like pitch will if anything its a deathbed for pacers and English openers have already achieved miraculous feat of surviving 32 overs.

Except those foot marks there is nothing much on offer from this lifeless surface, bounce is still good and ball comes at such a nice pace that even Bumrah was timing it to perfection.

This pitch has all the imprint of a Christopher Nolan Mind benders. what was supposed to be the flattest surface it had enough grass and Moisture for least 4 sessions. England batters floored the huge initiative with some poor dismissals and then India fought back on day 3 as pitch become a batsmen paradise.

England struck back next day with 3 crucial blows and it appeared that lead will not stretch more than 250 odd. The see saw battle resumed as Pant and Thakur put India right back into this thrilling contest with a century stand.

Root can promote himself at no.3 followed by johnny and Pope to take that patch for lefties out of equation. I firmly believe it's more of a mental game now both teams might fancy their chances but in the end whoever will hold this belief for long might find himself in drivers seat.

England would hope someone to do a "Stoke". India will hope that Pitch will do something for them heck even the bounce is still so even. batting is an easier discipline on this pitch but chasing on the 5th day is most challenging as well.

As I said in the beginning "Your guess is as good as mine"


Fight_Club

 

[PakHammer]

First session will be crucial, if England lose more than 2 wickets then India will be huge favorites.

England have good memories of chasing but remember India bowled them all out in two sessions a few weeks ago also in London on a fifth day.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

In my opinion, it's only a matter of wicket falling and then Joe Root will be the only person standing between India and victory.

I say this game is 80/20 in India's favor.

If England can pull this off, then I wanna it see happening live.

 

[Extra_Cover]

India to win the game tomorrow. All it takes is 10 good balls and chances of chasing totals over 350 in test cricket is a rare feat. I do not think England has much possibility of winning tomorrow. Only Root has some mettle to put a fight in a situation like this. Except Root there were only 2 players (Stokes and Buttler) who could have had any mettle in putting a fight if they were playing.

If India doesn't win tomorrow and England escape with a draw then surely India would lose at Old Trafford as England will carry much needed momentum with them.

 

[moghul]

Great test series and a wonderful test match, all three results are possible tomorrow. With holiday here in USA ( labor day ) looking forward to watch some great old fashioned test match cricket between two top teams in the world .

 

[moghul]

I think, England has slight advantage now, with every runs scored, pressure will be on India. But again, with every wickets , it will be otherway round.

India has only one spinner and Jadeja did not bowl well today, was not threatening at all, just like Moin Ali.

 

[Mahee]

My prediction: England to lose only two wickets and score 230 runs by tea....and they will go for the chase in the final session....if they lose more than 4 by tea including Root (which is unlikely to happen on this pitch), they will play for draw in the final session....as of now, it's advantage England !

 

[Rana]

Hats off to India

This is one of the best Test series I have seen in England since the Ashes 2005

 

[Super Santi]

The pitch looks so flat, only one threatening bowler.
India will try and take early wickets and then bowl negatively to try and dry up runs.
England should think about promoting Pope to 3. He averages 100 on this pitch and it seems easier to bat on for right handers as Jadeja bowling into the rough is India's main tactic.
India need magic balls from the pacers.
All 3 are capable of bowling special deliveries but think Siraj and Umesh are also capable of bleeding runs, especially the latter.

 

[globalcitizen]

At start of match everyone wanted ashwin to replace thakur, and now that he performed well. Fingers pointing to jadeja.
Decision has been made based on English conditions and not a 5th day pitch. India might have not even been in this position without their contribution. Yes Ashwin is missed everyone knows but it's better to look at what to do next. Jadeja can still come good tomorrow

 

[Savak]

India is going to resort to the Bharat Arun inspired middle leg stump line with the leg side, leg slip packed to dry up the runs. English batsmen are going to get frustrated and shuffle across their stumps risking getting lbw

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Hats off to India

This is one of the best Test series I have seen in England since the Ashes 2005

I refuse to actually watch Indian test matches since they banned Pakistan players from IPL but just looking at the scores, I will offer my commendation on their batting efforts in particular. They have been masters in this class since I can remember.

 

[Civil]

Have thoroughly enjoyed this series. Top class.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Captain himself is a freeloader. He is merely backing the other freeloaders while ignoring no.1 wicket taker in ICC championship who also happens to be world no.2

 

[PakLFC]

With the pitch looking placid England have a chance of winning this Test. For them it is about preserving their wickets then having a right go in the final session. They don't want to be going anymore then four down in to the final two hours. India need to be taking 3 or four wickets in every session which is definitely possible. As was the case in a previous Test all results are possible making this another wonderful Test with the match changing session by session. This is what Test Cricket is all about as opposed to the childish T20 stuff.

 

[BDfanforever]

Eng has failed to capitalize after having Ind 213 lead for 6. Root's captaincy is very questionable this series.

India is in a good position to win this game and what a come-back from behind thanks to Thakur's innings.

 

[wrongun]

English commentators were saying he has weak vision in his right eye, so he tries to see the ball first with his left eye hence adjusts his head position before he sees it with both eyes...I mean i didn't understand fully but they were saying Something like that.

So England field the guy with one good eye in the slips... and he drops two...

 

[James]

Have woken up with the view that the draw is the highest probability result here. Perhaps 60% on the unofficial WinViz. With the India win on 37% and the England win at 3%.