Manchester, July 26, 2025 – India dug deep on Day 4 of the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, finishing at 174 for 2 in their second innings by stumps. After conceding a massive 311-run lead, things looked bleak when both Indian openers fell for ducks in the very first over thanks to Chris Woakes. With defeat staring them down, Shubman Gill and KL Rahul stepped up, batting through all three sessions to give India a fighting chance going into the last day.
Early on, England’s bowlers had their tails up as Woakes knocked over Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan in his opening over. The scoreboard showed 0/2, and the lead looked out of reach. But Gill, calm at the crease, found support from Rahul. Together, they took body blows, handled a barrage of bouncers from Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse, and blocked out tight spells from spinners like Liam Dawson.
Both batters played patient cricket. Gill was dropped on 46 but made England pay by making an unbeaten 78 by stumps. Rahul also held firm, reaching 87 not out. The partnership was 174 runs at the close, marking the first time in the series an Indian pair batted through more than two sessions together. They focused on survival, scoring mostly from bad balls and rotating the strike. The approach was slow but steady—India was still 137 runs behind England by day’s end, but no more wickets fell after lunch.
England had earlier put on a show with the bat. Ben Stokes anchored their first innings with 141, combining with Joe Root (150) to get England to a huge 669. Ravindra Jadeja tried his best, ending up with 4 wickets, but the bowlers toiled across 157 overs.
Rishabh Pant remained out with a fractured foot, leaving India short. Dhruv Jurel kept the gloves. With the series score at 2-1, England remain in control, but India’s batters gave the team hope for at least saving the match.
The final day is set for a tense finish. India needs to bat as long as possible to avoid an innings defeat. Rain could play a part, but for now, all eyes are on Gill and Rahul to continue their rescue act.
