India bowling coach Morne Morkel anticipates an exciting day of cricket as England chases an improbable 608 runs.

“Harry Brook likes to take the game on and he’s an entertainer,” Morkel said. “That’s a brand of cricket they want to play. They probably might have a go for a while and then reassess.”

The very fact that an England win – however remote – is still being discussed is astonishing. That may have well influenced India’s decision to delay declaration until an hour into day four’s final session.

“Not really worried, “ Morkel clarified. “If a team scores 500-plus on the final day, then they deserve to win. But we saw [Saturday] morning that if we get the ball in the right areas, there is a bit of assistance.

“Your skill really gets tested on a surface like this. The margin for error is smaller. It’s going to be about asking questions on a good length because as the ball gets a little softer, it is harder to strike. But, I’m just happy with the three [wickets so far],” the South African added.