New Delhi: After going wicketless in the first session, England managed to dismiss both Indian openers and skipper Shubman Gill in what proved to be a fruitful session for the hosts on Day 1 of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Manchester. While India added 71 runs in the post-lunch session, England picked up crucial wickets of well-set KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal and in-form Gill.
At Tea, India reached 149 for 3 (52 overs) with Sai Sudharsan batting on 26 and Rishabh Pant unbeaten on 3.
Had it not been for Jamie Smith, India would have also lost Sai Sudharsan. The English wicket-keeper dropped a simple catch down the leg side after Sudharsan, batting on 20, tried to flick a Ben Stokes delivery through the square leg region. Had it been taken, the dismissal would have been an action replay of the left-hander’s wicket in the opening Test at Hedingley.
England strike back in fruitful second session
Rahul was dismissed six runs short of the 100-run opening partnership and four runs short of his half-century when Stokes induced an outside edge from the Karantaka batter’s willow from a good length ball.
Sudhrasan, returning after the second and third Tests, joined hands with Jaiswal, and both left-handers steadied the ship with a cautious 26-run stand. But just when things were going smoothly, Liam Dawson, back in England’s Test team after eight years, dismissed the dangerous Jaiswal, who edged a straight delivery to first slip and walked back after a decent 58-run knock.
Jaiswal’s wicket brought Gill to the crease, but his short stay of 23 balls (11 runs) was ended by his English counterpart Ben Stokes minutes before the Tea break.
The Indian skipper was given out LBW after misjudging a ball that was heading straight to the off stump and was dismissed by Stokes for the first time in seven Test innings (63 runs in 119 balls).
It was a brain-fade moment from Gill, who failed to fire with the bat for the third successive innings after making a remarkable start to the series in the first two Tests.