The China Mail - Deep leaves England on brink of defeat as India eye series-levelling win

England, set a mammoth 608 runs to win, were 153-6 at lunch on a rain-delayed fifth day, still needing a further 455 runs to record what would be a remarkable win.

But, more realistically, India now require just four more wickets to level this five-match series at 1-1.

Deep, only playing in Birmingham after India rested outstanding quick Jasprit Bumrah, struck two early blows Sunday by dismissing Ollie Pope and Harry Brook during a spell of 2-22 in six overs.

Deep now has eight wickets in the match -- shared evenly between England's two innings.

It looked as if Stokes and first-innings century-maker Jamie Smith, who came together with England in trouble at 83-5, would then bat through until lunch.

But their stand of 70 ended in the last over of the session when Stokes was plumb lbw for 33 to off-spinner Sundar, the first India bowler other than pacemen Deep or Mohammed Siraj to take a wicket this match.

England may be renowned for their dynamic 'Bazball' approach to batting but none of the wickets that fell Sunday were a consequence of reckless stroke-play.

After rain delayed Sunday's start by more than 90 minutes, England resumed on 72-3 in bright sunshine.

Pope was 24 not out and Brook, who made a superb 158 during a first-innings stand of over 300 with Smith, unbeaten on 15.

But Pope had failed to add to his overnight score when he was undone by a ball of extra bounce that hit him on the glove and forearm before deflecting onto the stumps.

His exit brought in Stokes, on a king pair after his first golden duck in Test cricket in the first innings.

But Stokes, without a Test hundred in two years, avoided the embarrassment of two noughts in the same match with a legside flick.

England were soon 83-5, however, when Brook (23) was lbw to a Deep ball that kept a touch low and hit him on the back knee.

Brook reviewed but his dismissal was upheld on umpire's call to huge cheers from the massed ranks of India fans at Edgbaston, who effectively created a 'home' crowd atmosphere for the tourists.

Smith, in at 84-5 before making 184 not out in the first innings, walked out to bat with England once more in dire straits. But he soon struck Deep for a punched four through cover-point.

The wicketkeeper was then fortunate to survive two Deep nip-back deliveries that somehow just missed the stumps.

On Saturday, India captain Shubman Gill became the first batsman in Test cricket to post scores of 250 and 150 in the same match.

The 25-year-old followed his majestic 269 in the first innings with a dashing 161 off 162 balls in the second.

Gill has now scored three hundreds in his first two Tests as captain following his 147 during India's five-wicket loss in the series opener at Headingley.

N.Wan--ThChM