India's hopes of winning the Oval Test against England remained alive at the Day 4 lunch break, thanks to fiery spells from Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj. England reached 164 for 3 at the interval, requiring another 210 runs to achieve the daunting target of 374 set by India. The morning session saw India make early inroads, but Harry Brook's aggressive counter-attack kept the game finely balanced.

England began the day at 50 for 1, having lost Zak Crawley to a Mohammed Siraj yorker on the final ball of Day 3. Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope initially looked comfortable, but India's bowlers soon found their rhythm. Prasidh Krishna, who had been testing Duckett with short-of-length deliveries, changed his strategy and bowled a fuller delivery outside off, inducing a drive from the left-hander which flew to KL Rahul at second slip, ending Duckett's stay at 54.

Mohammed Siraj then struck a crucial blow, dismissing Ollie Pope for 27 with a delivery that nipped back off the seam and trapped the England skipper lbw. Siraj's 20th wicket of the series put him at the top of the wicket-takers list.

With England in a spot of bother at 106 for 3, Harry Brook launched a counter-attack, scoring a quickfire 38 off 39 balls. Brook's aggressive strokeplay put pressure back on the Indian bowlers. He had a slice of luck when Mohammed Siraj took a catch near the fine leg rope but stepped on the boundary in the process, turning a potential wicket into six runs. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri compared Brook's fearless approach to that of Rishabh Pant, noting how he shifted the momentum of the game.

India's second innings had been built around a superb century from Yashasvi Jaiswal (118), supported by half-centuries from Akash Deep (66), Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar (53 each). However, England's task remained monumental, as no team has successfully chased more than 263 in the fourth innings at The Oval since 1902.

The morning session was not without its tense moments. Joe Root, known for his calm demeanor, was visibly frustrated during an exchange with Prasidh Krishna while running between the wickets. Krishna downplayed the incident as "just a bit of banter" and part of the "competitive edge".

At lunch, Joe Root remained unbeaten on 23 alongside Harry Brook. England still needed 210 runs to win, while India needed seven more wickets to secure a series-levelling victory.