Manchesterazc, 27 July (H.S.): KL Rahul and Shubman Gill forged an impressive unbroken 174-run partnership, leading India to 174/2 at the end of the fourth day of the fourth Test in Manchester, trailing England by 137 runs on Saturday. England, boosted by captain Ben Stokes’ commanding 141, had initially established a daunting 311-run lead and dismissed two Indian batsmen early. After early strikes from England’s bowlers, Rahul and Gill exhibited patience, facing over 370 deliveries without losing their wicket during a challenging second session.

Stokes’ century, his first in over two years, helped propel England to a formidable total of 669. Despite India’s hopes of quickly dismantling England’s tail, Stokes countered aggressively after an early wicket, reaching his century with an impeccable leg glance and accumulating 41 additional runs rapidly. England’s innings ended just before Lunch, despite Carse’s brisk 47-run contribution.

India’s second innings began tumultuously with Woakes claiming two early wickets, leaving India yet to score when the trouble began. However, Gill survived a close LBW appeal and settled, ushering India through a difficult phase. The duo displayed resilience as Gill scored a fluent half-century, bringing stability during the wicketless second session.

As they progressed into the final session, Rahul also passed fifty, forming a centurion partnership characterized by patience and occasional boundaries. Despite England’s attempts, including various bowling strategies, the partnership built steadily past 150, leaving the Indian batters largely untroubled as they ended the day without losing further wickets.

Brief scores: India 358 & 174/2 (KL Rahul 87*, Shubman Gill 78*; Chris Woakes 2-48) trail England 669 (Joe Root 150, Ben Stokes 141; Ravindra Jadeja 4-143) by 137 runs.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar