Bad light forced an early end to Day One of the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series at Old Trafford, with India reaching 264/4 in 83 overs, largely due to B Sai Sudharsan’s impressive 61 – his first Test fifty.
Brought back into the playing XI in place of Karun Nair, Sudharsan had a nervy start and was even dropped on 20. But the left-handed batter recovered well, striking seven boundaries in his 151-ball knock on a hard pitch under overcast skies.
Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a gritty 58 while sharing a 94-run opening stand with KL Rahul, who made 46. However, India’s biggest concern will be Rishabh Pant’s foot injury, which forced him to retire hurt on 37. After taking a nasty blow and developing significant swelling, Pant was sent for scans, and the extent of his participation could influence the outcome of the match.
In the morning, Ben Stokes won the toss for the fourth time and opted to bowl first. Initially, Jaiswal rode his luck as Chris Woakes repeatedly beat his outside edge. However, the veteran all-rounder couldn’t find the breakthrough in his marathon eight-over spell, with Jaiswal taking three boundaries off him, while Rahul hit two.
When Brydon Carse came on, Rahul cut him twice for fours, and Jaiswal pierced the gap between third slip and gully. Rahul, who surpassed 400 runs in the series, faced more deliveries from Archer than Jaiswal, who had twice fallen to the pacer at Lord’s.
After cutting Stokes for four, Jaiswal got a lucky edge off Archer for another boundary before upper-cutting the England captain for six. He and Rahul ensured India went to lunch without losing a wicket.
The second session began with Jaiswal slashing and punching Carse for a pair of boundaries, before Woakes was finally rewarded for his persistence. On the last ball of the 30th over, a back-of-a-length delivery nipped away and took a thick outside edge from Rahul’s attempted punch, and Zak Crawley held on at third slip. Rahul departed for 46, ending the 94-run opening stand.
Jaiswal went on to record his 12th Test fifty but fell soon after the drinks break. Liam Dawson, making his Test comeback after eight years, claimed his first wicket on just his seventh delivery. Jaiswal, attempting a forward defence, edged to Harry Brook at first slip and was dismissed for 58.
Dawson, playing in place of the injured Shoaib Bashir, managed to tie Sudharsan down. Sudharsan could have fallen on 20 if Jamie Smith hadn’t missed a leg-side chance off Stokes.
However, Stokes struck in his next over when Shubman Gill left an in-ducker that rapped him on the pads. After being adjudged out by on-field umpire Rod Tucker, Gill reviewed, but replays showed the ball clipping the top of off-stump. He walked off for 12, giving England a boost after a wicketless first session.
In the final session, Sudharsan hooked Archer through fine leg for four, then pulled another for a boundary. Pant stunned the crowd with a front-foot sweep off Archer for four, followed by an audacious reverse ramp. He also launched Carse for a six over long-on, as he and Sudharsan brought up a counter-attacking 50-run stand and helped India cross 200.
However, disaster struck in the 68th over when Pant attempted a reverse sweep off Woakes but under-edged the ball onto his right foot. Though England reviewed for lbw and lost it, Pant was clearly in pain. The swelling on his foot ballooned to the size of a table tennis ball, and he was eventually taken off the field in a buggy, retiring hurt on 37 after a 72-run stand with Sudharsan.
Sudharsan went on to bring up his maiden Test fifty in 174 balls with a crisp drive through cover off Joe Root. But Stokes’ short-ball tactic worked once again, as Sudharsan, cramped for room, top-edged a pull to long leg – the third time he’s been dismissed by Stokes in this series.
With bad light forcing England to bowl spin from both ends, Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur, both unbeaten on 19, added three boundaries between them before play was called off, concluding a see-saw day of Test cricket.
Brief scores:
India 264/4 in 83 overs (B Sai Sudharsan 61, Yashasvi Jaiswal 58; Ben Stokes 2-47, Chris Woakes 1-43) vs England
—IANS