India roared back into contention on an exhilarating second day of the final Test as their seamers restricted England to a 23-run lead after the hosts had threatened to run away with the match, and the series.

After mopping up India’s brittle tail in less than 30 minutes at the Oval on Friday morning, openers Zac Crawley and Ben Duckett raced to 0-92 in 12 overs in a blistering return of Bazball tactics.

However, continuing the back and forth theme of the entire series, India responded as their bowlers ran in relentlessly to peg England back to 247.

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal then scored quickly in a potentially awkward last 90 minutes, ending unbeaten on 51 with India closing on 2-75, 52 runs ahead.

Another fabulously undulating day began with India resuming at 6-204 but soon skittled for 224 as pace bowler Gus Atkinson took five wickets in his first Test since May.

It was an all-too-familiar collapse by the tourists this summer as Karun Nair fell lbw for 57 and Washington Sundar was caught for 26. Atkinson then bowled Mohammed Siraj and had Prasidh Krishna caught behind, both for ducks, to finish with 5-33.

England, 2-1 up in the five-Test series, set about their reply in swashbuckling fashion, exemplified by Duckett’s extraordinary reverse hook for six off Akash Deep.

They reached 50 in seven overs - the fastest 50 opening partnership for England in a Test - but fell just short of the 100 as Duckett was caught behind reversing for 43.

What followed next was a moment of high drama.

Duckett had earlier told Deep that you “you can’t get me out” so Deep obviously responded when he did exactly that.

He put his arm round Duckett and had some words, before KL Rahul stepped in and dragged Deep away.

“I’m not so sure the bowler should be putting his arm around the bowler having got him out, regardless of whether that is in good spirits or not,” said former England captain Michael Atherton on Sky Sports.

“He was rightly dragged away.”

England batting coach Marcus Trescothick said Deep was lucky things didn’t get physical.

“I was just saying many in my time, a lot of players would have just dropped the elbow on him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bowler do that after getting someone out,” Trescothick, who also played for England, said.

“You see bowlers have many words like we’ve seen a bit in this series on both sides. But it was just different, wasn’t it? I was just laughing and joking about it.

“Ben doesn’t really do a great deal. Put your head down and walk off, your job is done at that point. There is no need to walk him off in that fashion.”

Aussie cricket legend Ricky Ponting also blasted the incident.

In fact, Ponting said he would have given the bowler a right hook if he had been in a similar situation during his playing days.

“I love the way Ben Duckett plays his cricket, I think I like him even more now,” Ponting said.

It is possible Deep could be sanctioned for breaching the International Cricket Council guidelines on “inappropriate physical contact”, and fans were fuming on social media.

“That behaviour from Akash Deep is appalling. Got a wicket, take it and show some respect,” one fan raged.

“For all their moaning about spirit of cricket the last couple of weeks, India are far and away the worst at it.

“England have done some bad things this series but that was worse.”

Another said: “Akash Deep had no business putting an arm around him. Physical touch in moments like these can escalate very easily.”

And another: “Akash Deep there perfectly summing up an Indian side who have zero class and are lead by two petulant children in Gambhir & Gill.”

Naturally, there was some support for Deep.

“Nothing wrong with that send-off. That’s just healthy teasing and it’s not provocative. What’s the fuss all about?” one fan asked.

But the majority seemed to think Deep crossed the line and would be fined.

“I’m Indian but that was disrespectful and definitely didn’t seem friendly,” a fan said.

And another added: “When you have batted for 43 runs in a Test match, you are perfectly entitled to expect to walk off without being touched by the bowler. I hope young Akash Deep, when he has a quiet moment to himself, will be a bit disappointed with what he did.”

England were 1-109 at lunch and looked poised to take command but India, as they have all summer, refused to buckle as Crawley (64) and Ollie Pope (22) quickly departed.

Joe Root brought calm to proceedings until Siraj nipped one back at him for an lbw on 29, with Jacob Bethell going the same way soon after.

Krishna finished off the session by having Jamie Smith brilliantly caught in the slips for eight by KL Rahul then getting Jamie Overton lbw for nought and followed up with the wicket of Atkinson to finish with 4-62.

Harry Brook had a late flurry either side of a rain delay before becoming Siraj’s fourth victim when bowled for 53. England, with injured Chris Woakes absent, were all out for 247.

India’s openers quickly erased that lead, with Jaiswal looking particularly enterprising en route to a quickfire 51 - though he was badly dropped in the deep on 40.

Rahul departed tamely for seven off Josh Tongue, and Sai Sudharsan followed, lbw to Atkinson for 11, leaving Deep not out four.

With good weather forecast for Saturday, another Oval full house will turn up in expectation of more fireworks in what has been one of the most entertaining series for years.

England’s batting coach Marcus Trescothick said the match was finely balanced.

“There was lots of positive cricket. We put them under pressure but they fought back pretty well and it sets it up nicely for tomorrow,” he said.

Of England’s scintillating opening stand, he added: “When pitches are like this, we want to put pressure back on the bowlers, using your feet, not playing conventional cricket. Success comes from being inventive, brave. It worked well but then we lost a couple of wickets.”

Trescothick said that the rare sight of Root appearing to lose his cool was the response to a comment seemingly made by Krishna.

“India tried a different approach,” he said. “They’ve seen him play so well in this series they’ve tried to get after him and spark him up,” he said. “Normally he’s the sort of guy who laughs and giggles but today he chose a different route.”