By England’s captain Ben Stokes delivered a vintage spell, claiming 5 wickets, but India’s lower order resilience pushed their total to a competitive 358 all out on day two of the fourth Test at Old Trafford. The innings saw contributions across the board, with key knocks from Sai Sudharsan (61), Yashasvi Jaiswal (58), and Rishabh Pant (54) leading the charge.
The scorecard may have hinted at early control by England, but India’s batters held firm through the middle and lower order, stretching the innings well beyond expectations after falling to 266/5 at one stage.
India 1st Innings – Old Trafford
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | 58 | 107 | 10 | 1 | c Harry Brook b Dawson |
| KL Rahul | 46 | 98 | 4 | 0 | c Zak Crawley b Woakes |
| Sai Sudharsan | 61 | 151 | 6 | 1 | c Carse b Stokes |
| Shubman Gill (c) | 12 | 23 | 1 | 0 | lbw b Stokes |
| Rishabh Pant (wk) | 54 | 75 | 3 | 2 | b Archer |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 20 | 40 | 2 | 0 | c Brook b Archer |
| Shardul Thakur | 41 | 88 | 5 | 0 | c Duckett b Stokes |
| Washington Sundar | 27 | 90 | 2 | 0 | c Woakes b Stokes |
| Anshul Kamboj | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | c Jamie Smith b Archer |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | c Jamie Smith b Archer |
| Mohammed Siraj | 5* | 7 | 1 | 0 | not out |
Extras: 30 (b 4, lb 8, w 14, nb 4)
Total: 358 all out (114.1 overs)
England Bowling Highlights
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Stokes (c) | 24 | 72 | 5 | 3.00 |
| Jofra Archer | 26.1 | 73 | 3 | 2.80 |
| Chris Woakes | 23 | 66 | 1 | 2.90 |
| Brydon Carse | 21 | 71 | 0 | 3.38 |
| Liam Dawson | 15 | 45 | 1 | 3.00 |
| Joe Root | 5 | 19 | 0 | 3.80 |
The India 1st Innings at Old Trafford started cautiously before building momentum with Sudharsan and Jaiswal stabilizing the innings. Pant’s quick-fire 54 and Thakur’s gritty 41 added vital lower-order runs, ensuring that England would not walk away with full control.
Ben Stokes’ five-wicket haul was a standout performance, mixing sharp seam bowling with clever variations. Jofra Archer also bowled with venom, collecting 3 wickets including Pant and Jadeja.
India now look to their bowlers to make an impact with the ball as they defend a total that could prove tricky on a surface offering some swing and bounce.
