Live Commentary: India vs. England - Fourth Test, day four - as it happened

Hello and thanks for joining me this morning for day four of this fourth Test. We're still only in the first innings.

By lunch yesterday, the match looked to be heading towards India getting ahead of England and taking a lead, hopefully enough to skittle England for an innings win. However, the four wickets in the final session have left them needing 30 to catch their visitors, with a draw looking like the only realistic option here.

It left neither side in control of this Test match in what remains a flat, slow pitch with not a lot in it for bowlers or batsmen. India have 33 runs before they are level, but could be all out before that point should England take the remaining wickets quickly this morning.

Once they're back in the field, India will need some early wickets to be in with a chance of winning this Test match. It makes this morning session here quite important.

If England are in bat with wickets to spare come the end of the evening session, it would be hard to look beyond them taking that historic series win. I'm getting ahead of myself, there's a lot of cricket to be played before then and as we saw last night things can change very quickly.

First things first for England, they'll be looking to wrap up this Indian innings before they can make the 33 runs they need to draw level.

It's potentially the most crucial day of the series so far. If India get this right and England get it wrong then that series win could disappear in a flash. The tourists are about to be in a battle, that is for sure.

Just about five minutes away from play. Ravichandran Ashwin will continue in bat on seven not-out, with a new partner as Piyush Cawla was dismissed right at the end of the day.

The players are coming out. England are already on the field nice and early, and Ashwin comes into the middle with Pragyan Ojha.

Apologies, it's Pragyan Ojha. Ashwin can bat, so England will want to focus on getting out the two bowlers here. Graeme Swann will take the ball to finish his over,

Ojha tests out his block and sees out the remaining five balls of Swann's over. It's a wicket-maiden carried over from yesterday.

Jimmy Anderson bowls from the other end around the wicket and is immediately clipped leg side but India refuse an easy single. It's a defensive field so without running scoring is going to be difficult! Ashwin picks up a single and Ojha faces one delivery from Anderson, which is blocked solidly.

England slow to sort the field between wickets, taking time out of this one. Monty Panesar replaces Swann, and Ashwin looks happy to defend so far, before picking up a single to the leg side. Ojha again faces one, which he blocks, to end another far-from exciting over.

Decent shot to fine leg from Ashwin and again they don't want to take the single. Bizarre. Anderson gets the next one through the gate but it's straight to Matt Prior, after a bounce. Ashwin again gets a run late in the over to bring up the 300, which took 150 balls. Anderson tests Ojha with a short one and he ducks. Small appeal for LBW, but it was going down leg side. Three runs in 18 minutes so far.

A drink is brought out to the middle, with I suspect a secret message for them to pick up some runs! And yes, Ashwin advances to hit over the head of Panesar, but it's just one run. Ojha didn't get the message, however, and continues to block. He leaves a wide one and despite the early excitement it's one again from the over.

"India win in Gangnam style" is a sign from the crowd. Not quite sure what that means, they're certainly not dancing. Perhaps Gangnam style means to not win? Ashwin wants two for a clip to leg but Ojha is slow and will now face five balls from Anderson. Another slow fielding change and Ojha gets off strike with a blocl square of the wicket. A third run! Ashwin picks up another with a drive to mid-off. I can't believe my eyes, Ojha runs another and the score is ticking over now. Ashwin chops a wider, fuller delivery but misses the ball and the somewhat exciting over ends with yet another run to get Ashwin back on strike.

Quick single from the first ball of Monty's next over gives him five balls to look at Ojha. The first is fended off somewhat precariously square of gully. Ojha is still slow to run and sends back Ashwin when a single was on. As it happens, we're back to just one an over.

Anderson continues and Ashwin picks up a single straight up. A leg-side bouncer to Ojha does not trouble the tail-ender, before Anderson nearly squeezes one through but it's blocked in the end. A leg-bye gets Ashwin back on strike, who gets immediately back off it with one run to deep mid-off.

Ashwin advances to play one leg-side for the first double of the morning. Two balls later he does it again between mid-on and midwicket, but only gets a single this time. Ashwin again looking to get back on strike but Ojha reluctant to run when it wasn't really his call. Panesar tries to tempt the bowler into a shot but he doesn't make contact with a loopy slow one.

Early single for Ashwin, before Ojha returns the favour. Another from Ashwin gives Anderson a go at Ojha but he's been solid so far and sees out the remainder of the over, with the final ball clipping his pads for a leg bye.

Wicket! Ojha (3) b Panesar

There are no celebrations but he's gone. Ojha inside edges a bouncy one on to his off stump and he's gone for three.

Ishant Sharma, who has been demoted to 11, comes in to bat and sets about fending off the rest of Panesar's over, then runs a quick one to get off strike. Ashwin advances for an easy single to get himself back on next over.

Anderson finds a shade of reverse swing, which Ashwin has to dig out from in front of his stumps. He then dispatches one to deep mid-off for a single, giving Anderson two deliveries at Sharma, with the last one somehow being diverted away from the stumps with a late block.

Declaration: The batsmen trade singles at the start of Monty's next over, before Ashwin sweeps through a gap in the leg-side field to pick up two. He sweeps again for just a single and Sharma gets another with the final ball before drinks. And I think Dhoni has brought them in.

It's been an odd morning. India declared four runs short after batting very slowly for 29 runs. All it served to do was take an hour of their much-needed time. Here come Alastair Cook and Nick Compton for the very important period until lunch.

Sharma takes the new ball and will bowl to Cook. Remember he got both these batsmen on day one. Cook plays cautiously to start with, leaving anything he doesn't need to play and blocks the last two in front of his stumps for a maiden.

Compton will face spin first from Ojha, and he plays the second delivery nicely through a gap in mid-wicket for three - the highest score of the day so far. Cook fends off a couple of deliveries to leg side and seems reluctant to play shots so far. He misses one going down leg side, and fortunately it escapes the edge too.

Compton faces his first ball from Sharma, and defends solidly, before poor footwork lets one go narrowly past the edge with a nothing forward shot. A very deliberate leave follows, before he has to play a straight one with a good block. Two maidens from two for Sharma.

Cook continues to defend well from Ojha and an over flashes by.

Only good fielding prevents Compton from hitting the first boundary of the day through midwicket, but he does pick up three from a Sharma no-ball. Cook remains watchful and is still yet to score from 21 deliveries.

Compton fends off another Ojha over that just whizzed by.

Cook prevented from opening his account with a good piece of fielding at square leg, then goes back on the defensive. He does finally get off the mark with a quick single to extra cover. Just one from the over.

Bowling change as Ashwin replaces Ojha and bowls to Cook. The England skipper is still more than happy to block from the Indian spinners on this painfully slow pitch. It's a maiden first up for Ashwin.

Ojha was just changing ends and now he replaces Sharma at the other end. Compton gets forward well to block, watching the ball well on to the bat. Six more dot balls - I'll just copy and paste that for the rest of the day, then?

Six more dot balls... This time it's Cook who defends from Ashwin and England are yet to score from the off-spinner.

Runs! Compton picks up two of them with a nice flick to leg side and works another one with a shot to cover. Cook, still on just one, cannot add to his tally and England's lead is now 15.

Compton's turn to see out an Ashwin over, until he clips a wide one for the day's first boundary to third man.

Lunch: Sharma back in for Ojha, as India try to see if seam will get them a breakthrough. Cook leaves a wide one and blocks a straighter ball. Sharma moves round the wicket, but it's the same result - Cook leaves, before a big shout for LBW after Sharma finds some reverse swing, but it did too much. Cook takes advantage by rinning a leg bye and Compton picks up one from the last ball before lunch.

So ends the slowest session of cricket I can ever remember watching. An unbelievably low 46 runs came from it, with 25.5 overs bowled. That's a run rate of 1.78. The good news for England is that if it continues like this the match will surely be drawn for a series win.

I'm going to take a quick break. Join me again in 25-30 minutes for the second session.

Welcome back. The resumption of play is now not too far away. The morning was incredibly slow - from both sides in their batting - and while England are fine letting the time run down when they're at the crease they do need runs as well in case of a session full of wickets like we had last night.

Just the one wicket has fallen today, with Ojha knocking a Panesar delivery on to his stumps via his glove. England have made a slow start to their innings, four ahead after Dhoni's declaration, with Cook particularly digging in with just a run from 46 balls.

You'd fancy if these two are still batting come tea it will be very hard for India to win. England, too, but it is the hosts who must win to claim a series draw.

Here come Compton and Cook. The former will face Ashwin to start.

Compton edges through his own legs for two runs off the first ball, which are the only runs from the first over back.

Sharma to bowl from the other end. Just seven balls in to the session and there's a problem with the ball, apparently. Because it wasn't swinging, I assume? Cook blocks one off his pads but never seems to make good contact with the balls that nip in to him. Sharma gets some bounce with a wider one that Cook leaves. No runs from the over and it's just one in 51 for Cook.

Compton gets one from the next Ashwin over to take the strike against Sharma. Just 20 runs from 16 overs.

Ojha, who is in for Sharma, tries to nip one into Compton's pads but it was going down leg side and is clipped away for one. Cook gets a run! He now has two.

Ashwin finds a shade of turn that almost catches Cook's edge, but the captain blocks well. No danger to the scorers and it's another maiden. I've lost count of how many times I've said that today.

Compton almost gets deceived by Ojha but gets enough on the ball to edge it clear of his stumps, and runs a single. A nice tuck off the pads by Cook rotates the strike and Compton defends the rest of the over. England lead by 28.

Ashwin continues and so does the wall that Cook has built at his crease. Almost the danger of a single off the last ball there, but they change their mind; maiden.

Some technical issues have left me without picture here. I'm pretty confident that nothing has happened, however. Although what's the likelihood that after waiting for hours for something to happen it's right now?

Ashwin chucks down his fifth maiden from eight overs. Not much more to say about that over other than it was like most of his others this innings: difficult to score from.

Ojha gets one to turn and bounce at Cook. It missed everything and everyone and goes through for four byes.

Cook gets himself a boundary with a lovely drive to Ashwin. It was very well struck and the runs have just picked up in the last couple of overs.

Good, patient shot from Compton brings him another two towards third man and 22 overall. A single brings Cook back on strike, who hits to mid-on for a single. Four from the over.

Dhoni still yet to use Ravindra Jadeja or Piyush Chawla this innings, as Ashwin continues. Not much trouble for Cook as he blocks the first five balls before directing a shot straight to cover point and it's another maiden.

Just as I mention it, Chawla is into the attack. Compton cuts him to cover for a single and there was a hint of turn, and he's a little quicker too. Cook turns one off his legs for one run and Compton nicks a quick single to end the over.

Big appeal from Ashwin, but it only clipped Compton's pad as it went down the leg side. Another Ashwin maiden flies by.

Cook pinches a single with a clip to mid-wicket, before Compton goes at a wide one from Chawla but misses. He gets a neat two before Chawla launches a quicker one that's so close to catching out Compton, who just clips it away for a single.

Compton turns a block into a good quick single early in the over. Cook leaves a wider one to go down the off side before he's given out! I really don't know about that one - the umpire saw or heard an edge, but Cook doesn't think so and the replays tend to back up the England captain. I think that's fortunate for India.

Different angles are not helping Kumar Dharmasena here. I cannot see the edge. Either way, Jonathan Trott is here. Another wall. The field is very aggressive to him.

Marvellous shot from Trott as he sweeps to fine leg for a four off his first ball.

A fullish ball from Chawla goes through Compton's legs and to the boundary for four and a flick to square leg brings up two of his own. England's lead is 62 but the wicket might spark them into scoring some runs for extra security here. A couple more wickets and India would feel like they can win it.

Trott sweeps Ashwin again but this time picks out the man at square leg and he knocks a full toss through mid-wicket for the only two of the over.

A flick off his pads for Compton brings up a single and his 31st run from 96. The field is still close to Trott as he passes one back to Chawla down the ground. Solid defence from the number three and it's just one from the over.

Ashwin finally gets a rest, with Jadeja coming in to replace him. Compton cautiously sees off the threat of the new bowler with an over of blocks.

Sharma replacing Chawla now with Trott to face. The first delivery hits Trott's pads but it's well down the leg side. A good line from Sharma forces Trott to play a block and he nicks a single to the off side to get off strike. Compton blocks the final two balls of an over that seemed to take an age.

Jadeja gets a look at Trott now and there's a big appeal against him - probably just leg side, but it was certainly pad first. After that excitement, it's a maiden. The threat of runs a few overs back was just that.

Sharma continues from the Pavilion end, with his line and length looking good enough to stop Compton playing anything other than blocks. He clips to leg for a risky single but Virender Sehwag fields poorly and they're safe. Trott cuts straight of square and they run three, with Compton blocking the final ball of the over.

Jadeja completely fluffs a delivery and it's bouncing and rolling well wide, which Trott smashes to the boundary for four - good improvisation. Five from it for the no-ball. Smiles all round, and Trott is then stopped for two instead of three with his shot to mid-wicket after good fielding by Kohli.

Ojha back into the attack to replace Sharma. Compton comes down and hits hard to extra cover, but is sent back from his run by Trott, who hadn't even considered it. It's a maiden over for Ojha.

Excellent shot from Trott to the same spot he hit Jadeja for four in the last over. However, this delivery was better and only bounced the once. Three fours now for Trott, who has 20 from 34 after seeing out the rest of the over.

Compton gets a thick edge but is wide of slip allowing England to run two. The only two, in fact, from the over and England now hold an 83-run lead.

Trott takes an early single to leg off Jadeja and Compton cannot get one of his own. His run rate has slowed right down now, while Trott is ticking over nicely.

Ojha throws down another rapid-fire over, which Trott defends until picking up a single to mid-on. Compton defends the final ball and just one comes from the over.

Trott getting down firmly to Jadeja, who then gets one to turn and bounce just past the edge. He's determined not to leave any, which is how Jadeja took his wicket in the first innings. There's a bit of variation in line and length from the left-armer and it's a maiden, unsurprisingly.

Compton continuing to block every ball and as such it's a maiden over for Ojha. Again. I reckon that must be around 100 for the match.

Trott is following suit now after his rapid start. This might be easier if I only mention when there isn't a maiden over! I'd have been silent for this one from Jadeja because, yep, it's a maiden.

Tea: A huge amount of bounce and turn from Ojha, who bowls one slightly shorter. Then, just as I'm secretly hoping for a wicket so we can see Kevin Pietersen there is one, and I feel bad. It's given out by Rod Tucker LBW, but there was a clear inside edge. It was caught anyway, but it's a poor decision to give him out for LB.

Another low-scoring session ends and India are in a much better position thanks to the late dismissal of Compton. The lead is 85, but with two wickets down England need more runs. Fortunately, KP will be in now to at least try to score some. It's far from over, this.

The pitch looks the same as it did on day one. That is to say progress is still going to be slow. It's a really poor surface for exciting cricket and this Test certainly won't do a lot to get people back into this form of the game. Which is a shame, as in my opinion it is the elite form of cricket.

The big debate of the day is DRS. I don't get how India can continue to be allowed to not use it. This series there have been a hatful of poor decisions that would have been easily corrected. Instead, there was another this morning as Cook was given out when he clearly did not get an edge.

India proved in that last session that wickets are possible on this pitch and if they can get one early in the evening session England will really have to think about scoring. About five minutes from the resumption of play I make it.

Trott and new partner Pietersen are coming to the pitch now. The latter will face the remainder of Ojha's over - two balls.

KP comes forward twice, but only picks out fielders and it's a wicket-maiden for Ojha.

Pujara reacts quickly to try to catch Pietersen out of his crease at the non-striker's end, and England run an overthrow after it just misses the stumps. Pietersen gets off the mark with two runs dug out to the off side. Three runs off the Jadeja over.

Trott now to face Ojha, and he's happy to let his tea settle with some cautious hitting. That is until a straight drive goes to the boundary for four.

Big shout from Jadeja as Pietersen is hit on the pads well outside the line, before one that looks closer is also given not out. He's far out of his crease on both occasions so it would be a big call from Dharmasena, who has the Cook dismissal hanging over him.

Trott cuts nicely from Ojha, who is continuing with his left-arm spin; the batsmen collide running but get two. No further runs and Trott has moved on to 29 from 67.

Jadeja continues to Pietersen, who deflects a straight one away from his stumps first ball. Another one on the line of leg stump is pushed away less comprehensively, and he then defends the rest of the over well.

Still it's Ojha and Trott is showing off that trademark forward defence. And there is the 100th maiden in the match. An obscene amount of maidens. It's more than a quarter of all 381 bowled!

Pietersen less textbook defending from Jadeja's spin, and he is almost caught by Sehwag after a thick edge. He tried to catch it with his feet - a very hard chance low down, but KP escapes. The England big hitter cannot stop the 101st maiden. That's also three in a row.

I don't know if there'd be a result after an extra five days on this pitch. Ojha gets one to spin up and away from Trott's edge. Guess what - maiden! People queued for hours to get in this morning, they must be wondering why. Pietersen's two from 25 has to be one of his slowest starts ever.

Pietersen brings up his first boundary with a fine clip to one down leg side, before disastrously leaving one the he expected to spin away from off stump. It's the exact same dismissal that Jadeja got Trott with in the first innings. Really poor from Pietersen and the only player likely to pick up the pace has now gone! Ian Bell in now.

Bell defends the final ball of the over. England are precariously placed now. They will only have themselves to blame if they lose this. Just score quicker and it use the time to build runs. Instead they're 98 ahead with seven wickets left, and a few more before the end of the day would make tomorrow very interesting.

Lovely shot from Trott who clips to the leg side boundary for his fifth four. That takes the England lead past 100.

Bell looking to get off the mark with a couple of leg side nudges, and eventually gets a double with a neat clip to fine leg. He then hits one slightly in the air but nicely through mid-wicket for four.

It's Ojha still in the attack to Trott, who has built himself a fort at that end. A thick outside edge gets him two runs and a short, wide one is easily dispatched through covers for four. Another four, this time through fine leg, after some suspect fielding from Sachin Tendulkar. Ten from the over! Unbelievable scenes here.

Sharma returns to the attack in place of Jadeja and immediately finds a touch of swing that makes a Bell leave look closer than he'd have liked. Bell dispatches a slightly short, wide one through cover point for four. Solid defence after the four from a few deliveries with a better line.

Jadeja is straight back in for just a change of ends, as Ojha gets a much-needed rest. Trott defends well and that's the first maiden for a while.

Sharma bowls slightly down leg side and a slight clip off Bell's pads sees if fly away for four leg byes. Bell then gets a heavy edge to deep backward point for a single. Huge appeals from Dhoni, who thinks he's caught Trott behind, but there was no edge. Sharma's full of momentum and his next delivery is quick, but left comfortably and Trott blocks the final one of the over. Five from it.

Jadeja chucks down six dot-balls. But there was some petulance from the India players after that not-out decision as they rounded on Trott, presumably for not walking. He did nothing wrong and India should deal with the decision if they aren't using DRS in my opinion.

Sharma continues in attack to Trott, who is edging towards his 50. They run a quick single and come back for the second on overthrows. Trott would have been just safe. Sharma finds some swing, but not quite enough to beat the inside of Trott's bat, who drives back past the bowler for an excellent four with the penultimate ball and brings up his fifty with a single to the off side.

Chawla now in to the attack for Jadeja. He immediately gets one to turn away from Trott, but it misses the edge, and the next ball stays low. The next one down leg side is clipped away for two runs, with a no-ball called on the final delivery.

Lovely shot from Bell through cover brings up his third boundary and his 15th run. Sharma has a shade of reverse swing but Bell is firmly behind anything close to his stumps.

Trott picks up two from a slightly wide Chawla delivery and keeps it tight with one closer to his pad. Good fielding from Jadeja stops a swift cut from making it to the boundary.

Sharma never gets many overs in a spell and is now replaced by Ashwin. Bell getting bat firmly behind his deliveries, which come back into the right-hander. It's a maiden over, the first for a while. I say a while, maybe about 15 minutes.

Chawla continues and Trott's defences remain solid until one that doesn't spin catches the edge but goes into the ground. A single off the final ball saves me from having to say it's a maiden.

Trott clips off his pads to square leg and picks up two from it and a shot through mid-wicket gets another couple and brings up the 50 partnership. Off 85 balls - the scoring has been much quicker this session. Appeal not given off the final ball.

A no ball and two runs from a Bell clip to leg side takes the lead past 150 with a further single coming off the last ball.

Ashwin continues with Bell facing. He stops at the crease during one ball to warn Trott who was edging up the pitch. Bell attempts three straight drives but each one is stopped by the bowler.

Chawla to Trott now at the other end. A poor shot from Trott against the spin catches a leading edge and falls just short of the bowler's dive. It's a maiden; the second in a row.

There's no slip for Ashwin and Bell edges where Sehwag would be, but instead it races away for four for the only runs from the over.

Trott defends an over well from Chawla, without much threat to his wicket. The lead is 156 and this seems to be winding down for the day now.

Bell clips one to leg for a single off Ashwin's first delivery, and Trott does likewise a ball later. They then run a quick one to rotate the strike again and the last ball of the over is sent to mid-wicket for four.

Chawla continues. Bell leaves anything wide and blocks anything near his pads for the umpteenth maiden of the day. The run rate has just sneaked over two per over, however. The fact that that has increased this session says a lot about the day's play.

Jadeja is replacing Ashwin at the Pavilion end. Trott blocks most of the over but clips to leg for two runs off the very last ball of it. One more over left.

Stumps: Bell takes no risks from Ojha's over, and comfortably sees out the final over of the day. England end on 161-3 and it will take a monumental effort from India tomorrow if they are to have a chance of winning it.

England lead by 165 going into the final day, which is almost as many runs as are possible in a day here. With seven wickets to spare, you'd be a fool to bet against the draw tomorrow.

Thanks for joining me for the play today. Be sure to tune in to Sports Mole tomorrow with England set for a historic series win in India. Have a great day!