England Tighten Grip Against India

London: Joe Root's unbeaten 92 helped England open up a commanding first-innings lead over India in the final Test.

Root built on Alastair Cook's 79 and 64 from Gary Ballance as the hosts, who resumed 86 behind, closed the second day at The Oval 237 in front on 385-7.

Jos Buttler made 45, while Ishant Sharma, Varun Aaron and Ravichandran Ashwin shared six wickets for a disconsolate India side.

For India to make a comeback in the fifth and final Test at the Oval they had to come up with an eye-catching performance and the visitors did mange that winning the second session on day two claiming four wickets in one session - something that India have to failed to do since the Lord's Test - and went on to take another two to arrest the England momentum.

While in the morning session Alastair Cook (79) and Gary Ballance (64) levelled India's first innings score without much fuss, Ravichandran Ashwin and Varun Aaron gave India a sliver of hope post-lunch with the spinner getting rid of Ballance and Moeen Ali (14) and Aaron scalping Cook.

In the final session though India failed to sustain the pressure and could not capitalise on the slight middle-order wobble allowing Jos Buttler (45) and Joe Root to take England out of a trickly predicament with an 80-run stand for the sixth wicket.

With conditions best suited for batting it was expected that England will be dominate the day and despite Aaron scalping Sam Robson (37) in the second over of the day, it was hard toil for the Indian bowlers.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar chanced his arms for 24 overs for the wicket of Chris Woakes (0) while Ishant Sharma (2/58) and Ashwin (2/55) looked good in patches. Aaron (2/111) was the best bowler on show for the Indians but he too was guilty of being inconsistent.

England scored a total of 323 runs in the day for the loss of seven wickets and they would know they could have done much better and for India too it was a performance with which they won't be satisfied, yet won't be disheartened as well. Cook and Ballance seemed to have taken the game away from India with a 125-run stand but India showed character in taking four wickets for 38 runs in the second session.

Victory would secure a 3-1 series win for a resurgent England.

Brief scores
India - 148 )Dhoni 82, Woakes 3-30, Jordan 3-32)
England - 385/7 (Root 92*, Cook 79, Ballance 64)
Status - England lead by 237 runs