HARRY BROOK tumbled just one step from heaven as England set up a nip-and-tuck, neck-and-neck finale to the First Test at Headingley. 

The prolific Yorkshireman was out hooking for 99 after a thrills-and-spills innings of pure Bazball – missing out by the narrowest of margins on a Test century on his home turf. 

Brook’s knock, on the back of Ollie Pope’s century, helped England towards a total of 465 – a first-innings deficit of just six.

Yet the toothlessness of England’s attack was apparent again as India reached 90-2 at stumps, giving them a slight upper hand heading into Monday’s fourth day.  

There was plenty of frustration for skipper Ben Stokes – who hurled his bat into the air after his own soft dismissal for a scratchy 20, before Ben Duckett put down a late catch in the gully to reprieve Indian debutant Sai Sudharsan.  

Despite Brydon Carse ripping out the early wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal – one of the three Indian first-innings century-makers – England are badly missing express pace and world-class quality in their seam attack.  

Stokes removed Sudharsan late on but India hold a lead of 96. 

After a minute’s applause to mark the life of former England bowler David ‘Syd’ Lawrence – who has died from motor neurone disease, aged 61 – Brook was straight into his stride.

Having been caught off a no ball on Saturday evening, Brook was off the mark with a square cut for four followed by a maximum over midwicket. 

Pope was out to a flat-footed waft at Prasidh Krishna, having added just six to his overnight 100 – the first of several England batsmen to chuck away their wickets. 

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Then Brook had the temerity to charge down the wicket at the world’s most fearsome bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, cracking him through point for four. 

Next came a pair of tantrums – India keeper Rishabh Pant tossing down the old ball in a fit of pique after the umpires had refused to change it, before Stokes performed his bat-hurling routine after edging Mohammed Siraj to the keeper. 

After Jamie Smith had successfully reviewed an LBW dismissal and Brook had been dropped by Pant off spinner Ravindra Jadeja, England’s fifth-wicket partnership got motoring.

Yet the over before the new ball arrived, Smith pulled Krishna for six, then having lived by the sword, perished by it – his innings of 40 finished by a relay-catch on the boundary edge.  

Brook clattered consecutive fours off Siraj – who responded with a lengthy spell of sledging. 

The local hero may have been distracted as he appeared to offer catching practice to Jaiswal, in the gully, who dropped an absolute dolly.

It was the fifth dropped catch of the innings – and the margarine mitts of the tourists could yet prove decisive. 

Brook hammered Siraj for six over mid-off, then cut him for four before he was out hooking Krishna to the boundary on that most heart-breaking of numbers, just a run shy of a ninth Test century. 

England were still 73 runs adrift at that point but Chris Woakes – who appears to be in the team for his batting rather than his bowling – leathered back-to-back sixes during a half-century stand with Carse which ensured virtual parity.

Bumrah returned to demolish the stumps of Woakes and Josh Tongue.

Woakes appeared to injure his side while batting, yet he took the new ball with no success.

Carse claimed the wicket of Jaiswal with an 87mph delivery which nipped back.

After Duckett dropped Sudharsan off Tongue, Stokes invited the Indian No 3 to clip to Zak Crawley at midwicket. 

Rain curtailed play just after 6pm but this is anybody’s match heading into day three.