England had moved to 35 races to ensure a famous victory over India when bad light and torrential rain ended a fourth extraordinary day of the final test in the Oval on Sunday.
Harry Brook and Joe Root shared an excellent association of the 195 Wickt room to put England to the edge of completing a record chase that would have given them a victory in the 3-1 series.
However, with India on the strings, and England needed only 73 races, Brook played a wild blow and ski a capture to leave for 111.
That gave India a vote of hope and certainly took the most. Jacob Bethell also fell to an injection of the eruption for five and root, after completing a masterful thirteenth century of the test, cut a capture to the Wicktkeeper Dhruv Jurel of Prasidh Krishna to provoke wild Indian celebrations.
In an increasing tension, Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton fought to get bat in the ball, surviving several frantic appeals before the referees decided that it was too dark to continue.
The players abandoned the field and shortly after, a heavy rain of rain caused the conditions to be played, depriving the crowd of a tense end to a day of incessant drama.
Grip series
England will resume in 339-6 on Monday, with Chris Woakes unlikely to hit due to a broken shoulder, and India still has the possibility of a victory that will win a part of an exciting series of five games.
India had the best of the morning session after England resumed in 50-1, saying goodbye to Ben Duckett for 54 and Ollie Pope for 27 to leave the hosts staggering at 106-3.
Brook, on 19 of 19, was lucky to survive when Mohammed Siraj caught him in the depths before returning to the borderline cushion.
The prolific right made him pay a high price for the error, hitting two six and 12 four around the ground to reach his tenth century of evidence with 91 balls.
Root provided the perfect sheet, continuing its constant shape throughout the series, since Indian bowling players fought a lot of movement under gray skies.
Once again than three figures, Brook launched a total attack, hitting Akash Deep for two four in one more before trying a third party and Siraj completed the capture on this occasion.
Brook’s bat left his hands as he played the blow and had to recover it before returning to the pavilion to an ovation standing from the crowd.
He probably believed that he had done enough to guarantee victory for his team, but India had other ideas.
The highest persecution in the Oval was England 26-9 against Australia in 1902.
