Drab by Bazball standards, but by Australian rates of progress this summer a veritable frolic

David Warner avoids a beamer from James Anderson during day four of the 5th test match.

‘Eng Need 10 Wickets To Win.’ Up it went on the giant video scoreboard of the Finn Stand after 20 minutes of the fourth day of this Fifth Test, a helpful guide to the unitiated as the home team set about their task of squaring this ever-so-close Ashes series.

Not, you’ll notice, ‘Aus Need 384 Runs to Win.’ Only England’s task warranted monitoring. Limited imagination? Subtle parochialism? Outright hubris? Granted it was not the outlandish ‘England 500-1’ that blazed across the Headingley scoreboard in 1981 as that team reached its nadir; but, still, stranger things have happened in cricket, as England proved last year in its succession of death-or-glory chases. Hell, stranger things have happened this summer.

‘Eng Need 10 Wickets to Win’: and so it remained at 2.45pm, as the rain that had concentrated over The Oval for much of the day finally burst, with Australia’s target having been substantially reduced by the combined efforts of David Warner and Usman Khawaja.

Their best opening partnership of the series had by then become their first three-figure stand since March last year: 135 from 38 overs. All that could make the prospect of the last day here more tantalising is if the Ashes were on the line; as it is, there’s a sizeable gap, at least in historic perception, between two-all and three-one.

Joe Root and Usman Khawaja clash during day four of the 5th test match.

The day began with the air of a benefit gig for Stuart Broad, saluted on potentially the last day of his England career with a guard of honour and a juicy bouncer, hooked into that same Finn Stand.

Still, when James Anderson became the last wicket, there was just the slightest feeling that England had left Australia something to grasp at by Bazballing away their last five wickets for 35 in nine overs. Sunday’s 110-run partnership of Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow should really have put this match beyond the visitors’ reach; why such haste at the back end of England’s innings when there was more than two days’ cricket to go?

Conditions boded ill for the Australian chase, the clouds closing in but the floodlights ensuring play, while rain on the radar formed a pincer round The Oval that declined to close. In the event, England’s bowlers were sloppy and found negligible sideways movement, to the point that James Anderson, gifted the new ball on his birthday by Ben Stokes, was looking at it after a few overs as though at a toy for which the batteries had not been included.

Around Khawaja and Warner was also a tone of greater urgency, in contrast to the dilatory early phases of Australia’s first innings, at one stage finding the boundary thrice in succession: Warner down the ground from Woakes, Khawaja down the ground and through cover off Anderson. Khawaja toe-ended an extravagant pull off Broad into the covers but the intent was clear.

England bowler Stuart Broad reacts during day four.

As Stokes fortified his off-side field, Moeen Ali limped around it. Handicapped by that sore groin, Moeen struggled to impart his usual revs, although he gave England its closest glimpse of a wicket, Warner (19) being so non-plussed by a waist-high full toss he neglected to hit it to kingdom come and merely miscued into space.

The crowd, after its morning salaams for Broad and natal day salute for Anderson, was distracted and subdued; the fates remained untempted and undisturbed. At one point, in consecutive overs, Stokes and Root superstitiously swapped the bails at each end a la Broad; at his end, Khawaja fastidiously swapped them back. Expect allegations of bail tampering: Piers Morgan will probably call it Bailgate.

A thumbs-up from Warner to Khawaja for the 50 partnership; a pat on the back from Khawaja to Warner as the pair went into lunch at none for 75. And afterwards, though England tightened, the pair went at a run-a-minute - probably drab by Bazball standards, but by Australian rates of progress this summer a veritable frolic.

There were alarums when Joe Root bowled into the rough round the left-handers’ off stump - a Warner gambol down the pitch hastily aborted, a Khawaja nick between slip and keeper. But three boundaries came from the bowler’s last over: useful he may be, but Root is stand-in for a better spinner.

Warner smiled wolfishly after Anderson delivered him a head high full toss, which he deftly deflected to third man, then struck a once-familiar pose in lofting the same bowler down the ground.

England captain Ben Stokes changes the field.

Mark Wood’s belated advent in the 33rd over tugged Khawaja into some French cricket postures, and a blow on his helmet would have set his ears ringing. Once again one was thankful for the durability of modern headgear: what took a chunk from the ball would have taken quite a chunk from Khawaja’s head.

In the over before drinks, Khawaja tip-toed past 5000 Test runs, 2114 of those at 62.17 since he returned to the colours just over eighteen months ago. As play was called off at 4.48pm, a last glimpse of ‘Eng Need 10 Wickets to Win’. And Australia need 249 runs.