India Stabilizes After Early Setback in Manchester Test Against England
India's Response After Early Wickets
Manchester [UK], July 26: Following a shaky start just before the Lunch break, India regained composure during the second session of Day 4, largely due to a steady partnership between captain Shubman Gill and opener KL Rahul. The pair ensured that India went into Tea at 86/2 in the ongoing Test match in Manchester on Saturday.
Gill, displaying excellent form, achieved his eighth Test fifty and fourth against England, reaching the milestone off 77 balls. His innings featured eight elegant boundaries, showcasing his control and intent at the crease. He ended the session with a score of 52 off 80 deliveries.
Meanwhile, KL Rahul played a crucial supporting role, remaining not out on 30 with two boundaries. Together, they added 85 runs in 26 overs during the post-lunch session, providing much-needed stability after the early dismissals of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan.
India reached 50 runs in 15.2 overs but still trails by 225 runs. As the final session approaches, both batsmen will aim to build on their partnership and finish the day strongly for India.
England's Dominance in First Innings
In the first session, a remarkable batting display from England's captain Ben Stokes propelled The Three Lions to a first-innings total of 669, giving them a lead of 311 runs over India in the fourth Test.
This score marks England's second-highest total against India, surpassed only by their 710/7 declared at Edgbaston in 2011. India faced a challenging start to their second innings, losing both Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan for zero runs in the first over, leaving them at 1/2 at Lunch with KL Rahul on 1* and Shubman Gill on 0*.
England commenced Day 4 at 544/7, leading by 186 runs, with Ben Stokes (77) and Liam Dawson (21*) at the crease. Jasprit Bumrah struck early for India, dismissing Dawson for 26 in the 140th over, allowing Brydon Carse to join Stokes.
Stokes Achieves Milestones
In the 146th over, Stokes hit a four to secure his 14th Test century. He also achieved a five-wicket haul in the first innings, marking a significant return after eight years, and now adds a Test century in the same match, nearly three years since his last.
Stokes became the fifth captain in Test history to score a century and take five wickets in the same match. England surpassed the 600-run mark in the 148th over after Carse struck a four off Mohammed Siraj. Stokes also crossed the 7000-run milestone in Test cricket.
After dominating the Indian bowlers, Stokes was dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja for 141 in the 156th over. Jadeja then took out Carse shortly after, who had scored 47 runs off 54 balls. England concluded their first innings at 669, leading by 311 runs.
Bowling Struggles for India
Four Indian bowlers conceded over 100 runs in this innings, marking the 25th instance of such an occurrence in Test history. This has not happened since the 2014/15 tour of Australia, where it occurred in three consecutive Tests: Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney.
For only the seventh time in Test cricket, a team has achieved a first-innings lead of over 300 runs after conceding more than 350 runs while bowling first. Their previous highest lead after conceding 350-plus was 267 against Pakistan in Multan last year (823/7d in response to 556).
Brief Scores: India 358 & 86/2 (Shubman Gill 52*, KL Rahul 30*; Chris Woakes 2/25) vs England 669 (Joe Root 150, Ben Stokes 141, Ravindra Jadeja 4/143).