Root: A heavy roller on the fifth day could provide an 'advantage' for England

The England batsman is optimistic that the lower order can score the remaining 35 runs to clinch the series.

Joe Root is confident that the hosts will lift the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy on Monday, as he believes England has sufficient lower-order batsmen to secure the remaining 35 runs and prevent India from leveling the five-match series.

"I believe we have what it takes to finish the job tomorrow," Root stated after play concluded on Sunday, having achieved a pivotal century, his third in the series, where he ranks as the second-highest run-scorer. "This series has been incredible, a remarkable journey, and the confidence in our dressing room is evident; we feel we have the players to get us over the line. However, it has been one of those five matches in six weeks that has fluctuated back and forth. We are set for an exciting day tomorrow."

An hour into the final session, the light conditions deteriorated, prompting the umpires to halt play. It wasn't only the Indian team—who had taken two wickets after the tea break—who were disheartened, but also the fans. Their disappointment was compounded by rain, which led the umpires to call off play about an hour before the scheduled cut-off time. The Oval crowd expressed their displeasure at the decision, but both Root and India's assistant coach Morne Morkel had no objections to the play being suspended.

"There are advantages and disadvantages to both sides of the situation," Root remarked regarding the poor light that interrupted the thrilling phase after tea, during which Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna applied pressure from both ends, attacking the wickets and compelling batsmen to defend diligently without offering any scoring chances. "The bowlers have exerted a lot of effort, and they have overs under their belts. If you return to the field and manage to hit a couple of boundaries, the game can change dramatically. On the other hand, if we come back tomorrow, we can utilize the heavy roller again, allowing the players to recuperate, presenting a completely fresh opportunity. You simply sit...

Morkel concurred with Root. "As we can observe, it's quite wet out there now. It will take some time to remove the covers. The ground staff has been exceptional throughout this Test match with interruptions and preparing the surface for play. Ultimately, that's beyond our control."

England will have the chance to use the heavy roller first thing in the morning, which, similar to Sunday morning, could be advantageous for scoring runs with the moisture settled in the first half-hour. However, Morkel was not worried.

"Tomorrow, we can concentrate on having a solid warm-up and prepare the boys to hopefully place the ball in the right areas and, yes, generate a bit of excitement again."

Root mentioned that the heavy roller has been an "advantage" every time England has utilized it in the series. "Regarding the roller, we will see. Unfortunately, I don't have a crystal ball, but it has had an effect so far in this match. Whether that changes on day five remains to be seen, but hopefully, it will work in our favor by leveling things out."