India’s hopes of squaring the five-match Test series against England are hanging in the balance after reaching 310/5 late on Day 2 of the fourth Test at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester. The Shubman Gill-led side, trailing England 1-2 in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, needs nothing less than a win to keep the series alive.
Sudharsan Impresses on Debut, Pant’s Injury Worries India
Day 1 saw India recover from a shaky start, thanks to debutant Sai Sudharsan’s composed knock of 61. Batting at No.3, Sudharsan anchored the innings alongside Rishabh Pant before Pant took a nasty blow to his foot. That forced the wicketkeeper-batter to retire hurt after a promising start, leaving Indian fans and team management anxiously awaiting a medical update. As of now, it looks unlikely Pant will bat again in India’s first innings—a huge blow given his attacking prowess.
Sudharsan’s partnership with Pant produced a steadying 72-run stand that pushed India past the 200 mark in the final session of Day 1. However, both batters were lost by stumps: Sudharsan was out for 61 while bad light brought an early end to proceedings with India sitting at 264/4.
England Strike Back as Jadeja Departs Early
Resuming on Day 2, India suffered an immediate setback when Ravindra Jadeja fell for just 20—caught off Jofra Archer’s bowling—leaving India five wickets down. With Rishabh Pant’s participation still doubtful due to injury, all eyes turned to Shardul Thakur and the lower order to shepherd India towards a competitive total. At the time of writing, India is at 310/5 after 98.2 overs.
England’s bowlers have worked hard for their rewards. Ben Stokes continued his knack for timely breakthroughs, dismissing both Indian skipper Shubman Gill and Sudharsan at crucial junctures. Brydon Carse has been economical but wicketless so far (17.2 overs for 63 runs), while Chris Woakes chipped in with important spells.
India made three changes heading into this high-stakes encounter: Sai Sudharsan, Shardul Thakur, and Anshul Kamboj replaced Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Akash Deep. Injuries to key pacers Akashdeep Singh and Arshdeep Singh forced these reshuffles.
With England having won the toss and opted to bowl first on a fairly flat wicket, the contest remains evenly poised. India knows they can’t afford another slip-up after losing previous series to New Zealand and Australia. The goal: finish strong here and send this gripping battle into a decider with the series tied at 2-2.
