Alastair Cook led from the front as England drew level in the fifth Test with India at The Oval on Saturday for the loss of just opening batsman Sam Robson.

England were 1-148, in reply to India’s first innings of 148 all out, at lunch on the second day.

The England captain was 56 not out and Gary Ballance was on 40.

The left-handers’ partnership was worth 82 runs, with Australian-born Robson the only batsman out in the session.

England, looking to seal the five-match series at 2-1 up, resumed on 0-62 – a deficit of 86 runs – after India suffered their latest batting collapse of the series on Friday, with only skipper MS Dhoni (82) offering much resistance.

Robson had added just four runs to his score when, in the second over of the day, he was bowled off stump by fast bowler Varun Aaron for 37 after playing down the wrong line to leave England at 1-66.

Cook, who had looked vulnerable against the short ball on occasion, hooked Aaron well in front of square for a resounding boundary.

Ballance, as the sun broke through, flicked Aaron off his pads and drove Bhuvneshwar Kumar past mid-on for two well-struck fours.

Ishant Sharma bowled some probing deliveries around off stump but Cook, after a run of 40 balls without a boundary, pulled a rare short delivery past square leg for four.

Ballance brought up the pair’s 50 partnership when he eased medium-pacer Stuart Binny through to the cover boundary.

Ravichandran Ashwin came into the attack.

But when the offspinner dropped short and wide, Cook cut him to the point rope to complete a 125-ball 50 including five fours.

England ended the session in emphatic fashion when, from the last ball, Ballance drove Ashwin for four to level the scores.