TEST MATCH BREAKFAST: Joe Root's emotional tribute to Graham Thorpe, fans at Oval face a dilemma and Harry Brook finally delivers

Daily Mail​

04-08-2025

Test Match Breakfast takes a look at some of the biggest issues around cricket during England's huge fifth Test against India at The Oval.
Here, RICHARD GIBSON and AADAM PATEL discuss ahead of the climax of the thrilling series.
ROOT'S THORPE TRIBUTE
Joe Root revealed that he put the Graham Thorpe headband in his pocket at tea before celebrating his century by putting it on.
Root was on 98 at the interval and after celebrating his 39th Test hundred three overs into the evening session, gave the headband to umpire Kumar Dharmasena.
'I wish I had it in my pocket from the start,' said Root. 'I put it there at tea. He (Thorpe) is someone who impacted the game in this country as a player, a coach, a mentor and a friend.
'That gesture wasn't just from me but from our whole dressing room. It is great to see everyone show the amount of love for him through the week because he is a real legend of English cricket and has done so much good for so many people.'
FANS FACE NO REFUND DRAMA
Fans with tickets for the fifth consecutive sold-out day at The Oval will not have a penny reimbursed despite the likelihood of the match being settled quickly one way or another.
In cases of wet weather, full refunds are issued if fewer than 15 overs are sent down while a 50% return on ticket price is applied in instances where play does not get to the 30-over mark.
However, this does not apply to the fifth day of Tests when tickets are discounted to £25, meaning the outlay is the same whether a match finishes with either a flurry of wickets or boundaries, or gone into the final session - as it has done in the four previous meetings of the sides this summer.
England need 35 runs; India four wickets; one of them the one-armed Chris Woakes; the second new ball is 22 deliveries away from becoming available.
RARE FIVE-DAY THRILLER SERIES
This will become the first five-Test series for eight years in which every match has gone into the final day.
The last time was The Ashes in 2017-18. Of the 27 five-Test series to have been played in the 21st century, this is only the fourth series where play has gone to day five in all five Tests.
As Root said: 'It's quite fitting that we're going to get that kind of finish. Across five-matches and six weeks, it's swung both ways.'
BROOK BREAKS CURSE
Harry Brook averaged just 18.87 in fourth innings of Test matches until his break-out hundred on Sunday.
The Yorkshireman had only managed three half-centuries previously, with a top score of 75.
However, despite this England team's reputation for chasing down huge scores, one of their top six possesses an even worse return.
Acting captain Ollie Pope's mark remains under 17, with just one 50 in his career.
FAST SPELL
Prasidh Krishna produced his fastest spell of the series on Sunday morning, averaging 87 miles per hour between 11.45am and midday.
Credit to the Indian fast bowler too for producing another fine burst after tea, when his legs must have been at their heaviest, in support of the talismanic Mohammed Siraj.
PURE FRUSTRATION
Stuart Broad summed up the frustration around The Oval when play was abandoned around 6pm on Sunday.
At 6.25pm, the former England bowler tweeted: 'Still 20 mins away from possible start time, everyone has their sunglasses on at the train station. Felt the supporters deserved to see a finish to that Test Match today. Felt a lazy decision to call it off at 6pm in my opinion. I wonder who makes it?'