Harry Brook century before dramatic dismissal takes England in sight of win

Independent

4 days ago

Harry Brook hit a potentially series-winning century before throwing away his bat and his wicket to leave Joe Root in charge of finishing off another remarkable chase in the fifth Test against India.
Facing a towering target of 374, the Yorkshire pair came together under pressure on 106 for three and produced a staggeringly dominant partnership that carried them to 317 for four at tea.
A demoralised India were on the verge of throwing in the towel when Brook swung so hard looking for a third successive boundary off Akash Deep that he sent his bat spiralling in the air as a simple catch looped to mid-off.
He departed for 111 but Root was looking imperious as he reached the break on 98 not out alongside Jacob Bethell. Another 57 runs will seal a 3-1 home win and ensure the newly-minted Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy heads to Lord's.
Mohammed Siraj botched a chance to change the course of the match when Brook skied a catch to fine-leg with just 19 to his name but, although he held the chance, the seamer stepped on the boundary then carried the ball over for six.
England fans celebrated deliriously as a stunned Siraj realised what he had done, while Brook never looked back. He completed his 10th Test hundred in just 91 balls, his first in a fourth-innings pursuit, and hit the lion's share in a stand of 195.
Should the hosts get over the line it will complete a hat-trick of stunning pursuits against India in the past three years, following their record 378 for three at Edgbaston in 2022 and 373 for five at Headingley in the first match of this series.
They would also set a massive new record chase at Surrey's home, smashing the previous best of 263 set in 1902.
Siraj had snatched the momentum with the last act on Saturday evening, bowling Zak Crawley with a clinical yorker, India made a promising start by removing Ben Duckett (54) and Ollie Pope (27) in the morning session.
Duckett converted his overnight 34 into a fourth half-century of the series but played and missed repeatedly as he struggled against Siraj, finally nicking Prasidh Krishna to second slip.
Krishna, gamely filling the considerable boots of the rested Jasprit Bumrah, came desperately close to pinning Root lbw for just three but saw his huge appeal rejected. Ball-tracking showed it was clipping leg stump, but it would not have been enough to overturn the decision.
After an hour's play England had scraped together 37 runs, briefly accelerating as Pope hit three fours in an over off Krishna including one classy on-drive.
But that was the end of a cameo rather than the start of something more substantial, Siraj charging in and nailing him in front of the stumps.
At 106 for three, India had taken control but the arrival of Brook brought a screeching gear shift. He went for all-out aggression, at one stage lashing 27 runs in eight balls.
That included a crunch through midwicket and a lavish six over cover off Deep before his near miss at fine-leg, risking his wicket but picking up six more for his efforts. Siraj looked mortified, with the English fans revelling in his anguish. Krishna, meanwhile, had to quietly shelve the celebrations he had already started to perform.
The wheels fell off India's wagon in the afternoon, as a combination of defensive fields, passive captaincy and tired bodies left them short of answers. Brook and Root ruthlessly milked the situation, scoring a steady stream of ones and twos and waiting for the chance to hit fours.
A ragged full toss from Ravindra Jadeja and a woeful misfield from Deep, who kicked the ball over the ropes after declining to use his hands, suggested the game was up as the required runs dropped to double figures.
Brook looked to speed up after reaching a well-deserved hundred, lashing Deep for back-to-back fours before departing as his bat flew out of his hands.
Bethell was lucky to escape a caught-and-bowled on one, Deep slipping as he turned, but Root finished the session in full control as he moved within two of his century.