Stokes’ Heroics Put England in Command, But Rahul and Gill Lead India’s Fightback at Old Trafford
Manchester, England: England ended Day 4 of the fourth Test against India firmly in command, holding a lead of 137 runs with India at 174 for 2, chasing England’s colossal first-innings total of 669. This dominant position is largely due to an extraordinary performance by captain Ben Stokes, who scored a century and picked up a five-wicket haul in the same Test match.
England’s total of 669 is their fifth-highest in Test history and their best since scoring 823 against Pakistan in October 2024. It also stands as their highest ever Test total at Old Trafford, surpassing the previous record of 656/8d set by Australia in 1964.
Stokes’ century (141 runs off 198 balls, including 11 fours and 3 sixes) was particularly significant as it was his first in 35 innings. During his innings, Stokes joined an exclusive club alongside Garry Sobers and Jacques Kallis as only the third player in Test history to achieve the remarkable double of 7,000 runs and 200 wickets. He now has over 7,000 Test runs and 229 wickets.
India’s Resilience After Early Setbacks
Despite facing a massive first-innings deficit of 311 runs and losing two early wickets to Chris Woakes (2-48), India mounted a spirited fightback. After being 0 for 2, KL Rahul (87 runs)* and Shubman Gill (77 runs)* batted through two wicketless sessions, demonstrating remarkable resilience and giving India hope for survival on the final day, with rain expected in the morning.
Woakes started the Indian innings brilliantly, dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal for a duck and B Sai Sudharsan cheaply, both caught in the slips, putting India immediately under immense pressure.
Gill initially looked troubled by England’s aggressive bowling, particularly by deliveries targeting his front pad, an area where 37% of his Test dismissals have been lbw or bowled. However, after surviving a close DRS call against Jofra Archer and some nervous moments, he found his rhythm, playing confident drives and cuts, and effectively rotating the strike with Rahul. He surpassed Virat Kohli’s 655 runs against England in 2016 in a series and is now chasing Sunil Gavaskar’s record of most runs as an Indian captain in a Test series (732).
Rahul, adopting an old-school approach, showed immense composure against the new ball, leaving judiciously and backing his technique. He shared a few smiles with Archer as deliveries snaked past his outside edge, indicative of his growing confidence. He went past 500 runs in a series for the first time in his career, an impressive feat given the challenging circumstances.
The final day promises to be a gripping contest, with India needing to bat for survival and England pushing for a series-clinching victory. The weather could also play a significant role.
