Harry Brook fell one short of a hometown hundred as England’s first Test against India cricket hung in the balance on day three at Headingley.
The Yorkshire crowd was poised and ready to celebrate the local boy’s century as he faced up to Prasidh Krishna on 99 but instead shared his deflation as he turned a pull straight down the neck of the fine-leg fielder.
Brook, who had sprung a clearly telegraphed bouncer trap, threw his head back in dismay and dropped his bat as he trudged to the pavilion as the first Englishman to fall for 99 since Jonny Bairstow in 2017.
But his innings helped the hosts to a final score of 465 – just six runs behind India’s mark and enough to leave every result on the table.
Brydon Carse and Ben Stokes then picked up one wicket each as the tourists reached 90 for two to began rebuilding their lead.
Brook had picked up the baton from Ollie Pope after Saturday’s star man was dismissed for 106 in the third, scoring the majority share in stands of 51, 73 and 49 with Stokes, Jamie Smith and Chris Woakes.
Every run would have been painful for Jasprit Bumrah, who had Brook caught for nought off a no-ball in the final over on the second evening, and there were further costly errors as he was dropped on 46 and 82.
Brook roared out of the blocks, ending Krishna’s first over of the day with a cut for four and a thrash for six over midwicket, and assumed the driver’s seat when Pope guided a gentle steer into Rishabh Pant’s gloves early on.
His message rang out loud and clear when he took a couple of steps down the pitch and thrashed Bumrah for four through cover. Few batters have attempted to play the world’s number one bowler with such freedom and even fewer have lived to tell the tale.
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Stokes played the supporting role after arriving at number five, leaving it to Brook to provide explosive moments like his searing drive skipping down the track towards Mohammed Siraj.
The captain cobbled together 20 low-key runs but never settled into a rhythm and looked full of regret as he pushed defensively outside off stump and nicked Siraj behind.
Brook and Smith found a better tempo, milking 38 runs off six overs from the all-rounder Shardul Thakur, and negotiating the first signs of spin from Ravindra Jadeja.
Brook was bested once when he nicked one off the shoulder of the bat but the ball hit Pant’s gloves hard and popped out. After adding 118 for two in the morning session, England put on 138 for five between lunch and tea.
Smith was good value for a punchy 40 but, having seen one pull off Krishna go all the way for six, he obliged too easily by sending another straight to the designated catcher.
Brook was spared when he carved a regulation chance to fourth slip, Yashasvi Jaiswal making a mess of his handiwork for the second time in the match. The punishment was swift and unforgiving, 18 runs off the following over as Brook cut loose.
The century appeared to be coming in quick but instead Brook made the same mistake as Smith, swivelling to take on the long boundary and coming up short.
England added 67 vital runs for the last three wickets, Woakes chipping in with 38, before Bumrah wrapped up the innings to finish with a hard-earned and well-deserved five-for.
The weather worsened in the evening session, clouds filling in overhead and a strong wind blowing away any threat of rain showers, and an early wicket suggested England could seize the moment.
Carse took it, forcing Jaiswal back in defence and flicking the edge with one that held a tight enough line to demand attention. Sai Sudharsan was next in, fresh from a duck in his first Test innings, but he stood admirably firm in a stand of 66 with KL Rahul.
That dampened some of England’s enthusiasm as the lead they worked so hard to eradicate swelled once more. A Duckett drop at gully did not help matters but Sudharsan (30) only added six more before Stokes foxed him with an inswinger to have him caught at midwicket.
Shoaib Bashir threatened to cause more problems as his off-spinners started to grip but showers forced the players off with 25 minutes still to play and India almost 100 in front.
