India’s Prasidh Krishna, left, celebrates prematurely the wicket of England’s Harry Brook, right, on day four of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
India’s Mohammed Siraj, left, appeals successfully for the wicket of England’s captain Ollie Pope on day four of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
India’s Prasidh Krishna celebrates the dismissal of England’s Ben Duckett on day four of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
England’s Ben Duckett celebrates after scoring fifty runs on day four of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
England’s Joe Root reacts after a ball hit him on day four of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
England 57 runs from victory over India after Brook’s 111 and Root’s 98
LONDON (AP) — Harry Brook and Joe Root slashed England’s required runs to beat India down to 57 by tea on day four Sunday of the fifth and final test at the Oval.
India’s Prasidh Krishna, left, celebrates prematurely the wicket of England’s Harry Brook, right, on day four of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Kia Oval in London, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
LONDON (AP) — Harry Brook and Joe Root slashed England’s required runs to beat India down to 57 by tea on day four Sunday of the fifth and final test at the Oval.
England’s best two batters reversed the momentum of the match in a cruisy afternoon session after India won the morning session and was heavily favored at lunch.
Brook’s blazing 10th test century and Root, 98 not out, had England 317-4 by tea in pursuit of a mighty 374.
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Jacob Bethell was with Root on 1.
England was set to win the match and series with 10 fit men — allrounder Chris Woakes was out injured — and bookend the series with another awe-inspiring run chase. and leads the series 2-1.
Brook made India dearly pay for not getting him out on 19 before lunch, when Mohammed Siraj caught Brook but stumbled back on to the boundary cushion.
From 38 at lunch, Brook quickly reached 50 and gave a cursory wave of his bat.
He and Root, 23 at lunch, rotated the strike superbly with ones and twos.
As India’s three seamers tired and resorted to more short balls, spinners Washington Sundar and front-liner Ravindra Jadeja were introduced but unable to slow the scoring or take a wicket.
Root brought up his 50, his 25th against India, and was also keen to quickly acknowledge the applause and move on.
They led England past 200 by drinks, then 250, when it began to drizzle.
But India couldn’t exploit the wet conditions.
Brook continued to flash his bat, adding eight boundaries in the session. Root hit nine in the afternoon.
Akash Deep too casually tried to stop a ball with his boot but accidentally kicked it to the boundary and lifted Brook to 98.
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Brook then ran two for his second hundred of the series, off 91 balls, and celebrated with his helmet off as the Oval crowd rose. The century in his 30th test made Brook the fastest man to 10 hundreds in 70 years.
After taking England past 300, he was out for 111 in bizarre fashion. He lost control of his bat against Deep and Siraj took the catch at mid-off. The bat ended up at square leg. He faced 98 balls.
Root reached the last ball before tea needing two runs for his century and pushed the ball to the leg side but didn’t run.
He and Bethell walked off with the drizzle turning into rain and the covers going on.
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