Sunday 27 / July / 2025
Manchester: India recovered after initial shocks in their second innings of the Fourth Test but the team is still in deep waters with England scoring a massive 669 in their first innings and getting an overall lead of 311 over the visitors.
The Indian second innings began on a shocking note with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudarshan going back to pavilion on duck. K L Rahul and Captain Shubman Gill steadied India's innings with patient and stellar stand of 174 runs.
India finished Day 4 on 174/2 and are now 137 runs behind England. If the Indian team is able to salvage match on the fifth and final day on Sunday, it will be an achievement in itself.
England went wicketless in the final session as Indian batters added 126 runs to their tally, with KL Rahul 87* and Shubman Gill 78* unbeaten on the crease.
India started the third session at 86/2 with Gill, who looked in fine touch, notched up his eighth Test fifty and fourth against England off 77 deliveries.
His innings has been laced with eight delightful boundaries, showing great control and intent at the crease. He was batting on 52 off 80 deliveries.
At the other end, KL Rahul played the perfect support role, remaining unbeaten on 30 with two boundaries to his name.
In the 40th over, the duo of Rahul and Gill completed a 100-run stand for the third wicket. Rahul slammed his second fifty of the ongoing series in the 43rd over after pushing the ball for a single off Liam Dawson.
He also completed 9000 runs in international cricket across all formats. In the 55th over, the duo completed 150 runs for the third wicket.
Earlier in the match, after an early jolt just before Lunch, India found stability in the second session of Day 4, thanks to a composed partnership between skipper Shubman Gill and opener KL Rahul.
India reached their 50 in 15.2 overs, but still trailing by 225 runs. With the final session to come, both batters will look to carry on, and end the day on a high for India.
In the first session, a stellar batting performance from England skipper Ben Stokes helped The Three Lions to finish their first innings on 669, leading by 311 runs against India in the fourth test.
This is England's second-highest total against India, only behind 710/7d at Edgbaston, 2011. India had a poor start to their second innings, losing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan in the first over for zero runs each.
India were 1/2 at Lunch with KL Rahul 1* and Shubman Gill 0* unbeaten on the crease. England started Day 4 on day at 544/7, leading by 186 runs with Ben Stokes (77) and Liam Dawson (21*) unbeaten on the crease.
Jasprit Bumrah gave an early blow to the hosts as he removed Dawson 26 in the 140th over and Brydon Carse, joined England skipper on the crease.In the 146th over, Stokes smashed a four to bring up his 14th Test century.
He bagged a five-wicket haul while bowling in the first innings, after a long wait of eight years, and now he brings up a Test century in the same match.
A ton in the longest format, almost three years after. He also became the fifth captain to have a 100 and a 5-fer in the same Test. England went past 600 runs in the 148th over after Carse slammed a four off Mohammed Siraj.
Stokes also completed 7000 runs in the longest format . After smashing Indian bowlers all over the park, Stokes was removed by Ravindra Jadeja for 141 in the 156th over; in his following over, Jadeja removed Carse before he slammed 47 runs off 54 balls.
England finished their first innings on 669, leading by 311 runs. Four Indian bowlers conceded 100-plus in this innings, the 25th such instance for them in Tests.
This had previously occurred more than a decade ago, on the 2014/15 tour of Australia, in three consecutive Tests: Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney, respectively.
For just the seventh time in Test cricket history, a team has achieved a 300-plus first innings lead after conceding 350-plus while bowling first.
Their previous highest lead after conceding 350-plus in the first innings of the Test was 267 against Pakistan in Multan last year (823/7d in response to 556).
Brief Scores: India 358 & 174/2 (KL Rahul 87*, Shubman Gill 78*; Chris Woakes 2/48) vs England 669 (Joe Root 150, Ben Stokes 141, Ravindra Jadeja 4/143) (ANI)
