Just two days into the final Test, England is bracing for a fierce confrontation with an invigorated Indian team determined to achieve their goal of drawing the series.

By lunch on day four in Manchester, England appeared on track for a 3–1 lead, marking their most significant victory since Brendon McCullum took charge. However, by the close of Friday at The Oval, amid fast-paced cricket and rising tensions, the potential for a 2–2 draw loomed larger. This came after Yashasvi Jaiswal’s explosive start to India’s second innings, having been given reprieves on 20 and 40.

India will continue on Saturday morning at 75 for two, with Jaiswal making an impressive 51 off just 49 balls. Their lead is a slim 52, but with Chris Woakes sidelined due to a shoulder injury, and favorable weather promising optimal batting conditions, the tourists have reason for optimism.

Sai Sudharsan also benefited from a dropped opportunity by Zak Crawley at third slip off Jamie Overton, although it didn’t prove as costly. As light faded, Atkinson—England’s standout bowler in this match—trapped Sudharsan leg-before for 11, showcasing another twist in an action-packed day.

Upon his dismissal, Sudharsan paused to exchange words with the England team, seemingly displeased with what he heard. Ben Duckett was prominently involved while Brook, unexpectedly, acted as a mediator. With intense engagements over three sessions, a fiercely contested series finish lies ahead.

Earlier, India, with the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy at stake, showed no hesitation in defending their modest first-innings score of 224. Atkinson shone with outstanding bowling figures of 21.4–8–33–5.

At Lord’s, it had been England who promised to stop being Mr Nice Guys. Now it was the tourists’ turn to ditch any pretence at diplomacy. The aggro began when Duckett, after counter-attacking superbly for 43 in conditions still helpful to swing and seam, reverse-scooped Akash Deep into the gloves of Dhruv Jurel and immediately found Deep’s arm round his shoulder and some words in his ear.

Those who argued Deep’s intentions were friendly both misread the situation and missed the point. A batsman deserves privacy in the moments after his dismissal. A verbal send-off is bad enough. To instigate physical contact with your victim breaks an unwritten code: Shubman Gill might call it the spirit of the game. Duckett did well to keep his cool.

At lunch, with England 109 for one, having knocked off almost half India’s total in just 16 overs, the former Australian captain Ricky Ponting spoke for many. ‘I like the way Ben Duckett plays his cricket,’ he told Sky Sports. ‘I like him even more now. To not react to that, hats off.’

Things got tastier. Prasidh Krishna removed Zak Crawley, pulling to midwicket for a hard-hit 64, then became involved in a slanging match with Joe Root, of all people. The umpires stepped in, but to no avail, with even the level-headed KL Rahul telling Kumar Dharmasena: ‘What do you want us to do, keep quiet? Bat, bowl and go home?’ Siraj, revelling in the niggle, pinned Ollie Pope lbw for 22 after successfully overturning Ahsan Raza’s decision, and Brook walked out to a mouthful from Ravindra Jadeja, who hadn’t forgotten the mouthful Brook gave him on the fractious final evening in Manchester.

India fed off the energy. Siraj trapped Root for 29 and Jacob Bethell, finally playing his first Test innings in England, for six. And in the last over before tea, Krishna had Jamie Smith caught in the slips, then trapped Jamie Overton, who has struggled on his comeback, plumb in front. Brook’s half-century gave England a lead of 23.

Not for the first time in this series, though, India had made light of the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, the world’s top-ranked bowler, who missed the game they won at Edgbaston, and finished on the winning side in none of the three he played, at Headingley, Lord’s and Old Trafford.

Siraj averages 10 fewer when Bumrah doesn’t play, a backs-to-the-wall cricketer who flourishes when his team needs him most.

So it felt appropriate that he emerged after tea wearing the headband that sold in its thousands on Surrey’s ‘A Day for Thorpey’, in memory of Graham Thorpe, who died last year. This was the kind of battle he would have loved: a game, and a series, in the balance, and each run chiselled from adversity.

Siraj’s high-class four-for took his haul for the series to 18, one more than Ben Stokes. And with Woakes now out of action, and in all likelihood the winter’s Ashes, Siraj may shortly be able to claim to be the only seamer on either side to have got through all five Tests.

First, though, there is a game to be won. Increasingly, too, there are scores to be settled. Despite the rancour of the past few weeks, there are some who insist these teams actually get on. A combustible summer could yet explode its way to a conclusion.