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The ball reared up out of nowhere on a pitch that had been dying by the over and penetrated an Indian wall in the form of Cheteshwar Pujara that had stood firm against everything England could muster.

The extra pace of Mark Wood had provided the desperately needed breakthrough and England were suddenly, thrillingly back in the hunt for what would be an extraordinary Lord's victory.

At that stage of a slow-burning fourth day of the second Test England had become frustrated and flat in the face of an old-fashioned display of application and sheer bloody-mindedness from two old Indian warriors in Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane.

England are in control of the second Test after taking six India wickets on day four 

Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane frustrated England on day four at Lord's

But once Wood, stretching every sinew to bowl at a rapid pace on a Lord's surface that did nothing to help him, found the splice of Pujara's bat to send the ball straight into the grateful hands of Joe Root the game was very much back on.

And when it was quickly followed by another two wickets with a very old ball from Moeen Ali, back where he belongs in the Test side, England were firm favourites for the first time in what is becoming a classic Test.

What drama there was at Lord's to follow Root's mastery on Saturday, from a superb first session for England to a battle of attrition won by India in the second and then a potentially decisive burst of three wickets in the third.

And what a worrying sight there was the over after Wood struck when England's fastest, most fragile bowler took a tumble trying to stop a boundary in front of the pavilion and damaged his right shoulder.

Mark Wood got rid of both of India's openers as England started strong on day four at Lord's

He returned to the field after treatment and was ready to take the second new ball before bad light intervened but England reported him feeling 'very sore' afterwards. They will be holding their breath he doesn't join a plethora of injured bowlers on the sidelines.

When play ended, infuriatingly and self-defeatingly, 26 minutes early with floodlights shining brightly down on Lord's and spin on from both ends, India were 154 ahead with four wickets in hand and just the longest tail in Test cricket to come.

A thrilling final day, with Rishabh Pant still at the crease and capable of providing one last attacking twist against the second new ball, awaits.

This has been some comeback from England, from the chaos that swirled around their woefully under-prepared side before the Test to a first day when Root put India into bat and then saw them ease towards what looked like a decisive 276 for three by the close.

Rohit Sharma (left) and KL Rahul both fell to Wood's fast bowling in an exciting first session

But towards the end of that first day Ollie Robinson gave England what looked nothing more than a glimmer of hope by dismissing Virat Kohli. From that moment it has been England, in red-ball disarray for much of this year, who have made almost all the running.

The dismissal of Kohli was crucial again after the indefatigable Wood had dismissed the openers in Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul who had given India such an impressive start to this Test in the most demanding of conditions.

Firstly Rahul edged Wood tentatively through to Jos Buttler before Rohit pulled Wood for six but then, three balls later and with three men on the boundary, repeating the shot and seeing Moeen take a good low catch at deep square leg.

Much depended on Kohli, who had been his usual bristling self, exchanging sharp words with Jimmy Anderson and surviving a loud lbw call from Sam Curran that Michael Gough rightfully adjudged to have been going over the stumps.

Sam Curran (left) then claimed a vital wicket in dismissing Virat Kohli to set Lord's alight

India captain Kohli then walked for just 20 when he edged behind Curran's ball to Buttler

But the India captain's need for a big score is becoming acute and he was unable again to push on towards the century he has lacked for more than 18 months.

Now he pushed loosely outside off-stump and edged Curran, without a wicket in the series and England's least effective bowler again, through to Buttler. Cue a galloping 'lap of honour', Imran Tahir-style, from a delighted and relieved Curran.

That brought two experienced but out of form batsmen in Pujara and Rahane together for the stand that so nearly took India to at least safety before Wood struck.

So desperately short of runs has India's old-fashioned accumulator in Pujara been that he was conceivably playing for his Test future here. So he dug in like rarely before.

Pujara received roars of support from Indian supporters when he got off the mark off his 35th ball and then when his 100th ball arrived with him on 12 not out. Rahane was a little more adventurous, relatively so, but just 49 runs came in a middle session of 28 overs.

That brought Rahane and Pujara together, with the former going on to make a half century

Crucially, though, no wickets fell between lunch and tea and then when Rahane was dropped on 31 low to his right by Jonny Bairstow England must have feared their chance had gone. But cometh the hour cometh England's last bowler of rapid pace standing in Wood.

The game changed dramatically with those three wickets for 20 runs, the falling of the Pujara wall to Wood being followed by Moeen finding the thin edge of Rahane and then producing a beauty to bowl Ravindra Jadeja.

It was all too much for Kohli who started gesticulating angrily from the balcony for Pant and Ishant Sharma to get in the ears of the umpires and get the batsmen off for light.

What Kohli wants Kohli usually gets but Moeen claimed afterwards England were just as happy to leave the field early, with Root denied that second new ball, to avert the risk of Pant getting after his spin and that of the captain.

It ended the tense drama for another near full-house but it leaves the Test tensely poised. And Root in with a great chance of one of his best and most satisfying wins as captain.

But the duo lost their wicket in the evening session before Moeen Ali bowled Ravindra Jadeja

Mark Wood then suffered a shoulder injury after trying to stop four runs on the boundary