England vs India: Rory Burns and Dawid Malan fall on decisive final day

India claimed two wickets before lunch as England wobbled in their efforts to bat out the fourth Test at The Oval.

Rory Burns nicked Shardul Thakur just one ball after bringing up his half-century before Dawid Malan was run out after making a hesitant five off 33 balls.

But Haseeb Hameed, who gained an almighty reprieve when Mohammad Siraj somehow spilled a dolly of a catch at mid-on when on 56, was holding things together with captain Joe Root alongside him as England reached lunch on 131 for two. 

Dawid Malan looks crestfallen after being run out as India claimed their second wicket

Malan, on five, was short of his mark as substitute fielder Mayank Agarwal ran him out

Those two wickets in the morning session have killed off any lingering hopes of knocking off the 368 required for victory and a draw remains the most likely outcome barring an England collapse.

That would have been the highest victory chase in England’s Test history and openers Burns and Hameed soon converted their overnight stand of 77 into an evenly-split century.

Burns scored 19 of the 23 runs despite seeing less of the strike as the pair seemed to take contrasting approaches to the task at hand early on.

He collected three boundaries but departed as soon as he finished celebrating his half-century. Shardul Thakur coaxed the feather edge through to Rishabh Pant in the 41st over and India’s players came alive with joy.   

Rory Burns walks off after being dismissed for 50 on the final day of the fourth Test at The Oval

There was delight for Shardul Thakur as India claimed the breakthrough by getting Burns out

The England opener was dismissed just one ball after bringing up his half-century 

Fellow opener Haseeb Hameed soaks up the applause of the crowd after his fifty comes up

Hameed, on 56, received a real let-off when Mohammad Siraj dropped a dolly at mid-on 

Malan took nine balls to get off the mark and seemed uncertain whether to kick things on or block. But it was Hameed who received a let-off.

He hacked at Ravindra Jadeja with an ill-advised shot, mis-timed and looped a simple catch to mid-on, where Siraj somehow spilled the simplest of chances.

The pressure quickly built on Malan and he came close to falling LBW when kicking Jadeja out of the rough.

When Hameed called his partner through for a quick single, Malan was slow to react and sub fielder Mayank Agarwal was alert in the covers to find Pant, who whipped the bails off with Malan, diving full length, just short.

At 120 for two, Root came to the middle with the burden of responsibility on his shoulders yet again and plenty of overs left in the day to see out.   

Malan is left bent double after taking a ball to the body during his innings of five 

India appeal vociferously for LBW against Malan during the batsman’s short innings

India captain Virat Kohli assembles his players to discuss whether to review a decision

Dawid Malan races to make his ground and avoid being run out during the morning session

At the other end, Haseeb Hameed was blocked off as he tried to scramble for a single 

England’s openers Burns and Hameed walk out past the India team under blue skies on day five