Cricket Scorecard

The top order laid the platform, seeing off the new ball and just bedding in, not worrying about Bazball's response. There was a bit of a wobble in the middle order but the lower middle order rallied around nicely to take the visitors past 350. Barring that collapse in the second session on Day 1, every stand in the top 7 faced at least 35 balls, meaning that they hung in there. There were three critical stands - 94 between Rahul and Jaiswal, unbeaten 72 between Pant and Sudharsan and then, a fi

Post Lunch, the Indians just came looking out for some quick runs and that is always a double-edged sword. They got the runs, but kept losing wickets as well. But overall, they will be very happy with the results of the 4-and-some sessions. There are two ways to look at the scorecard. 1. As many as 7 batters made between 25 and 65. So, starts not converted. 2. The pitch is so difficult to bat that you are never in, despite playing 100-odd deliveries.

Well, that escalated pretty quickly. 4/37 in 9.1 overs since Lunch and England have finally managed to bowl India out. But not before the tourists crossed the 350-run mark, which looks a terrific score on this pitch with inconsistent bounce. Add to that, there is someone in the bowling camp whose first name starts with J and the surname ends with H. He will just enjoy bowling on this deck.

Jofra Archer to Jasprit Bumrah, ! CAUGHT DOWN THE LEG SIDE! Magnificent review by the combination of Jamie Smith and Joe Root! A bizarre way to end the innings. A length ball, down the leg side, Jasprit Bumrah looked to swing it over fine leg but missed. The keeper, Jamie Smith, appealed for the catch but the umpire said no. The captain was not paying attention, so the former captain, Joe Root, yelled out to Stokes, who is probably somewhere near long on and signalled him to si

Ben Stokes to Mohammed Siraj, Tries a repeat, does Siraj but Stokes follows him. Cramps him for room as MS looks to cut and beats him.

Ben Stokes to Mohammed Siraj, ! MURDERED! Length and straight, Mohammed Siraj backs away and swings it straight back over the bowler, into the boundary behind!

Ben Stokes to Mohammed Siraj, No run.

Reload. Something goes in Stokes' eye and he bails out.

Ben Stokes to Mohammed Siraj, A length ball now, outside off, Mohammed slashes hard but misses.

Ben Stokes to Mohammed Siraj, No run.

Ben Stokes to Mohammed Siraj, No run.

Jofra Archer to Jasprit Bumrah, EDGED, ! Useful runs for India. Full, outside off, Bumrah looks to drive but the ball nips back in, takes the inside edge and races past the stumps to the fine leg fence.

Jofra Archer to Jasprit Bumrah, No run.

Jofra Archer to Mohammed Siraj, 1 run.

Mohammed Siraj is the last batter in, replacing Rishabh Pant.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, ! BOWLED!

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, High in the air... and? Six? Four? Wicket? One? Two? Three?

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, Another slower ball. This is T20 mode now. Batter looking for boundaries, bowler looking for deception. Full, outside off, Rishabh Pant comes forward and looks to heave but misses.

Ben Stokes to Jasprit Bumrah, Goes for the yorker again, this time on middle, but Bumrah is up for it. Takes it on the full and flicks it behind square leg. Almost, by habit, he starts to run for the single but then realizes who is at the other end and goes back. Flashes a broad smile to Pant.

Ben Stokes to Jasprit Bumrah, Beauty. Full, outside off, Jasprit Bumrah looks to defend but the ball pitches and moves away extravagantly to beat the outside edge.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, This one zips back in from a length, Rishabh falls over but manages to flick it through mid-wicket and this time, takes the single.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Full and straight, Pant flicks it uppishly towards deep mid-wicket. No single taken.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Around middle and leg, pushed towards mid on.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, ! 50 FOR PANT! How has he done that? Full and wide outside off, Rishabh Pant reaches out and just puts bat on ball. But it takes the middle of the bat and races across the turf through cover! 18th half century in Tests for Pant.

Right. Pant on 49. What's the bet that he could do a Will Jacks from the 2024 IPL edition?

Jofra Archer to Jasprit Bumrah, Nice yorker, from over the wicket, Jasprit Bumrah plays it out comfortably.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, This is quicker and worked through mid-wicket for a single. Moves to 49.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, Six!

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, There comes a spearing yorker, right on that injured right foot, but Rishabh does really well to get bat on that, take it on the full and work it towards deep square leg. Does not take the single.

Entertaining period so far. We have had 5 overs since Lunch, seen just 16 runs scored, and 2 wickets falling, but it seems as if the Powerplay of a T20 is going on. Anything could happen anytime.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, Pace off, on a length, outside off, Pant backs away early to the leg side, aiming to go off side and hence, cannot connect.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, No run.

Ben Stokes to Jasprit Bumrah, No run.

Jasprit Bumrah walks in next, at number 10, replacing debutant Anshul Kamboj.

Ben Stokes to Anshul Kamboj, ! CAUGHT! There it is, Ben Stokes with a fifer! He has bowled his heart out here again after bowling a fantastic spell at Lord's! 

Ben Stokes to Anshul Kamboj, Delivers it on the fullish length and outside off, moving away from the batter, Anshul Kamboj watches it carefully before leaving out. 

Anshul Kamboj walks out next at number 9, on debut, replacing Washington Sundar. He is no mug with the bat either.

Ben Stokes to Anshul Kamboj, No run.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, ! CAUGHT! Knock, knock! Who is it? Me? Ben Stokes. Oh dear. Wicket time? I guess so.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, A length ball, Rishabh Pant whips it through mid-wicket. The ball races away and Ollie Pope charges onto the ball but the batters are not in a position to go for the second due to obvious reasons.

190/6. That's what New Zealand have managed in the final league game of the tri-series in Zimbabwe, against Zimbabwe.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Another full delivery, around off, Sundar blocks it off the front foot.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, 1 run.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, No run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, 1 run.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, Leg bye.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, ! A good shot! Much fuller again but outside off this time, Washington Sundar comes forward and looks to drive it but gets it off the outer half of the bat. The ball goes through the gap between third slip and gully to deep third for a boundary. He has played that intentionally, as it seems so.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Leg bye.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Oh, another hit! A fuller ball, around middle, coming in with an angle, Rishabh Pant looks to flick it but gets beaten on the inside edge and gets hit on the front pad, above his foot. Could be sliding down leg, with that angle.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, 1 run.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, 1 run.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, BYES! More freebies from England. And this time it is not Brydon Carse.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Maiden! On the hard length and just outside off, it threatens to come in but gets straightened out from there. Sundar leaves it.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, On the fuller side, and around middle, Sundar keeps it out towards mid on.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Another loud appeal for LBW but is turned down again by the umpire! Stokes talks to his keeper, bowler, and takes a review here! Archer has bowled it on a good length and around off, gets it to nip back in from there, Washington Sundar comes forward to defend it but gets beaten on the outside edge, as it seems so. The ball has clipped the front pad and goes behind the wickets, where Jamie catches it low to his left with one hand. 

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Will it be Archer again?

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, Goes fuller and around off, Sundar comes forward and taps it with soft hands. The ball goes in the gap to the left of backward point. A single taken, where Pant somehow manages to reach the other end.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, A bouncer now, angling into the body of the batter, Washington Sundar sits down and sways away from it.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, Lands it on a good length and outside off, seaming away, Sundar leaves it.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, No run.

Welcome back. Not a single cover is present now and we are all ready for action to resume. Just a reminder, because play was halted 10 minutes early before Lunch, this will be a slightly extended session, roughly of 130 minutes. Tea will be taken at the scheduled time, 8.10 pm IST (1440 GMT), weather and light permitting. Ben Stokes to kick things off to Washington Sundar post Lunch. 19-3-55-3 so far.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, A touch wider outside off, left alone.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, No run.

... DAY 2, SESSION 2 ...

Good news from the ground. The Hover Cover is present, but it is off the pitch, just as a precaution. The Super Soppers are doing their rounds. The weather remains overcast, but it definitely seems a lot brighter than it was before Lunch. Looking elsewhere, the third T20I between Bangladesh and Pakistan has kicked off in Mirpur and for once, the visitors have got off to a good start. Their openers have raised a 50-run stand and the Powerplay is in its last over. Bangladesh already sealed the ser

The weather, though, might play a role in the upcoming session as well. Rain cut short the first session, and the sky remains overcast. But if play resumes smoothly, it will be an important phase for both teams. India will look to stretch their total closer to 400, while England need a breakthrough early in the second session to get into India’s tail and finish things quickly. The match is finely poised, and the next hour or two will tell us which way the momentum swings. 

From England’s perspective, the morning started on a high with Archer getting rid of Jadeja, but nothing happened in the middle phase of this first session. There were Five Wides bowled on two separate occasions, showing their inaccuracy. Brydon Carse, in particular, was guilty of being erratic with his line, even overstepping twice. Stokes, though, once again turned out to be the most impactful bowler, adding Thakur to his wickets tally and now sitting on three. Archer and Woakes also bowled

Washington Sundar, who came in under pressure, looked composed. He was steady on the crease, happy to rotate the strike and spend time in the middle. And then came the moment when Rishabh Pant walked in to bat despite carrying a fractured foot. The fans cheered his courage. He is there, battling injury and has even taken some singles.

India resumed at 264/4 with Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur at the crease. But they lost Jadeja early as Jofra Archer struck in just the second over with the second new ball. That blow pushed India a little on the back foot, but Thakur and Washington Sundar joined hands and started to rebuild calmly. Their 48-run stand brought some much-needed stability to the innings. Thakur, who looked solid and played with intent, eventually fell to a brilliant catch of Duckett just before the rain came

India have managed to hold their ground well in the first session of Day 2, despite the drizzle that forced an early Lunch. They added 57 more runs to their overnight score, reaching 321/6. England did make inroads with two key wickets, but India’s batters remained composed and kept the scoreboard ticking. It wasn’t a dominant session for either side, more of a balanced one, but India look well on course for a total close to 375. England will know they need a few quick wickets to restric

No, we don't continue. Boos around the ground, not for Shubman Gill, but because the players are going off the field. The umpires have called in for the Hover Cover and with just 10 minutes left for Lunch, the umpires have called for LUNCH ON DAY 2. That means, we will start the second session 10 minutes early, around 6 pm IST (1230 GMT). INDIA 321/6!

Game stopped due to : Rain Stoppage

It has started to drizzle now. And it is coming a bit harder. The umpires have a chat and are signalling something towards the groundstaff. It has gone pretty gloomy and the floodlights have been switched on as well. For now, we continue. 

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Landed outside off, coming in, Pant takes his bat away.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, A length ball, outside off, coming in, Pant has a swing but misses. The third umpire has a chat with the onfield umpire and informs that Carse has overstepped again. 4 no balls in this innings, all by him. The replay shows that the foot just about landed on the line, nothing behind it.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Down the leg side, helped through square leg for one.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Back of a length, around off, jagging back in, Rishabh Pant is looking to punch it through the covers but is cramped for room with the ball coming in. Manages to get the ball through the covers and hobbles across for the single. Brings a smile to everyone's lips. Though, we bet, nothing can beat Glenn Maxwell's hobble against Afghanistan at the Wankhede in the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, On a length, around leg stump, 130 kph, Washington taps it through mid-wicket for a single.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, On a length again, wider outside off, moving away, left alone again by Sundar. 

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, On a length, outside off, going away with the angle but then swerving in late, left alone by Washington Sundar.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, Down the leg side, Washington helps it towards fine leg and the pair jogs through for a single. Stokes decides to sledge Sundar and gives him a mouthful but the resilient Sundar is concentrating on digging the pebbles off the pitch.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, Full, outside off, pretty wide, Sundar leaves it alone again. This one though, comes in late with the angle, but after it passes the stumps. No problems for Sundar but problems for - guess who? Yep, Jamie Smith! When is Lunch?

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, Full and wide outside off, left alone.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, On a length, around off, coming in, Washington Sundar pushes this towards short mid-wicket.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Short and wide outside off, Pant punches this through the covers for a single.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, That has spat up. Pant has a sore foot and now, he will have a sore digit as well.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Identical to the previous delivery, only this time, it is a legal one. Left alone.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, No ball!

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Did that slip out of the hand? From around the wicket, Carse bowls it miles outside off and WS watches it go past.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Very full, outside off, Washington pushes it towards cover.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Wider outside off, seaming away, Sundar lets it pass. 

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Back of a length now, around leg stump, easier one to fend down.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Ahh.. now then! Smell the leather, mate! England are opting for the short ball tactic now. Having bowled primarily length and full balls so far. Washington Sundar is on the front foot and is completely taken by surprise, as the ball pitches and rears at him. He takes his eyes off the ball and it hits his glove and drops down to the leg side. Sundar himself loses balance and falls down.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Oh, wow! BEATEN! Hard length and around the fourth stump line, the ball gets straightened out after pitching, Rishabh Pant tries to defend it but the ball goes past the outside edge and the keeper collects it to his left.

All eyes towards India's dressing room. Who is walking out? It is RISHABH PANT! He is literally struggling to walk down the stairs and not just the Indian supporters, but the whole of Old Trafford rises as one to applaud the courage of this man! The physio or doctor has done well to ensure the stitches in Pant's right foot are good enough to enable him to at least walk towards the pitch. Doesn't look like he is very mobile, but crucially, are England going to straightaway target the fuller or

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Nagging length and outside off, Pant goes to drive it but gets beaten on the outside edge. 

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, ! c Ben Duckett b Ben Stokes.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Nagging length and outside off this time, Thakur comes forward but leaves it.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Swings back in, on a good length but way too down the leg side, Thakur looks to tickle it but misses. The keeper goes across to his left and he has to put in a dive to stop it. 

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Angling in, a bit fuller and around off, Shardul Thakur defends it off the back foot. 

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Switches to around the wicket, bowls it on a good length and outside off, Washington Sundar covers his off stump and shoulders his arms.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Pitches it up and outside off, Sundar comes forward and drives it. Doesn't connect well and gets it off the outer half of the bat. The ball goes straight to backward point. 

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Much fuller, almost a yorker, around off, WS digs it out back to the bowler off the inner half of the bat.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, On a good length and outside off, going away with that angle, Sundar leaves it.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Not that full, on a length and around off, Sundar comes forward to defend it but gets beaten on the inside edge and wears it on the thighpad.

Brydon Carse to Shardul Thakur, Full and around off, Thakur taps it with soft hands towards point and takes a quick single.

Amidst the gloom, there is a silver lining for England. Ben Stokes has now bowled 122 overs in this series, which is his most in a bilateral series ever.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Just short!

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Nagging length and outside off, left alone.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Down the leg side, Thakur leaves it. The keeper moves across to his left to grab it behind the stumps.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Had it been a direct hit, Sundar was gone! Much fuller and around middle, Thakur nudges it towards short mid on and takes a step forward and calls for a run. But as Sundar responds, the fielder Carse was too quick to get to the ball and collect it. Thakur sends Sundar back. Carse makes a throw to the non-striker's end but misses as Sundar was short there, despite trying to drag his bat down. 

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Hard length and outside off, moving away a touch, Thakur leaves it this time.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Short of a length and outside off, the ball rises furthermore, Thakur presses back and looks to cut it off late but gets beaten on the outside edge.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, A bit shorter and around middle, Sundar hops up and blocks it into the leg side.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Hard length and around middle, seams back in, Sundar gets caught in his crease as he goes to flick it but misses. Gets hit on the thigh pad.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, 2 runs.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, On a good length and around the fourth stump line, Sundar leaves it.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Another! Similar delivery, a bit shorter and around off, Sundar gets inside the line and leaves it.

Meanwhile, in Harare, in the last league game of the Zimbabwe T20I triseries, between Zimbabwe and New Zealand, the hosts have managed to get the first wicket of the Kiwis, after New Zealand elected to bat.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, No run.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Hits the deck hard and bowls it on a hard length, a bit outside off as well. Shardul taps it in front of cover point.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Nagging length and around off, Thakur blocks it off the back foot.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, 1 run.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, Oh, so close to get chopped on! An unexpected yorker from Stokes, around off, Sundar gets surprised but brings his bat down and tries to jam it out. The ball takes the underedge of the bat and clips his thigh pad and rolls away. It goes beside the off stump, where Sundar tried to flick it away but the ball has passed already. Could be close! 

More bad news for England. They have received another warning for slow over rate from the umpires. They got one on Day 1 too. As far as India are concerned, they get another boost. The BCCI have officially confirmed that Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of fielding and keeping in this Test but WILL BE AVAILABLE TO BAT, should the need arise! He is already in the dressing room and who knows, should a wicket fall, might just stride out next!

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, Switches to over the wicket, and bowls it on a good length and around off, Sundar gets opened up but manages to block it.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, Nagging length and around middle, comes in with an angle, Sundar hops up and defends it into the pitch.

Brydon Carse to Shardul Thakur, Moving away, on the fuller side, outside off, Thakur watches it carefully and lets it go.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Angling into the body of the batter, back of a length, Sundar gets inside the line and tucks it through square leg for one.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Hard length, over off, Sundar rises with the bounce and drops it down towards backward point.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, On a good length and around off, angling in, WS keeps it out towards mid on.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, No run.

DRINKS BREAK. Another frustrating hour for the home side. They have bowled much better than how they did on the first morning, but still, luck eludes them. Jofra Archer himself could have had 4-5 wickets but that is how the game goes. India have been patient and mixed caution with aggression. Not thrown their wickets away, but capitalized on the bad balls. 42 runs have come in 13 overs this morning but crucially, 40 of those runs have come from this current pair of Sundar and Thakur. Also, En

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Some aggression or intent from Sundar now!

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, On a length, outside off, Thakur looks to defend but the ball whizzes past the outside edge.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, No run.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Four!

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, That is a beauty! Stokes goes up in an appeal but the umpire stays mum! There isn't much excitement amongst the English slip cordon and eventually, with 3 seconds left on the clock, Stokes takes the review. Seems to be more of his conviction than of anyone else. It was on a good length, outside off, Shardul Thakur looked to defend but the ball kept on rising and went past him, to the keeper. There was a noise as the ball went past and Stokes went up in an app

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, A short ball now, outside off, extra bounce, Shardul Thakur rises with the bounce and taps it towards third slip. The fielder dives and makes a half stop to his right, but gully mops it up.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, No run.

23 runs in the last 5 overs.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Landed on a good length, outside off, pushed towards cover.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Down the leg side, Sundar misses his clip.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, ! Off the edge but into the ground straightaway. On a length, around off, Washington Sundar looks to defend but the ball moves away off the seam and squares him up.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Slight hesitation but all's well in the end. Around off, WS taps it to the off side and starts to run. Stops for a bit as Shardul takes a while to respond but eventually, both cross.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, No run.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Outside off, moving away, dabbed behind gully for a couple. This stand is now worth 31 (53).

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Full and just outside off, Washington Sundar presses forward to defend but the ball nips away off the seam, beating the outside edge.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, FIVE WIDES! Second instance in 3 overs.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Wider outside off, a bit further up, left alone again.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, On a good length, wide outside off, from around the wicket, Washington Sundar keeps his bat behind the pad in defense.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, On a good length, down the leg side, WS helps it towards fine leg for a run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Full, outside off, swinging away, Washington pushes at it as a last-minute thought and misses as the ball swings away.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, On a length, outside off, coming in, Sundar defends it towards short mid-wicket.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Very full, around off, 138 kph, Washington Sundar defends.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, Good running again. Short of full, outside off, Shardul Thakur looks to defend and gets a thick inside edge onto his pads. The ball dribbles into the leg side and Sundar immediately calls him through for a single.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, No run.

Plenty of movement this morning.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Full, outside off, Sundar presses forward to defend. The ball moves away and takes the outside edge. The ball goes along the ground and splits the gap between third slip and gully, rolling towards deep third. The batters take a couple. So no run for the first 18 balls and now, 3 in the last 3.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, A touch wide outside off, angling away, Washington Sundar keeps his bat inside the line.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Had to hurry this time.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Slightly slower, fuller in length, outside off, Shardul Thakur commits himself on the front foot to defend but the ball pitches and then seams away massively, to beat the outside edge.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Full and outside off, pushed to the off side.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, OFF THE MARK ON THE 19TH BALL!

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, A short ball, pushed towards point.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, No run.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, FIVE WIDES! C'mon Jofra, Jamie is a human at the end of the day! How much are you going to punish him for one mistake? Aren't India punishing him enough?

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, Full and just outside off, ST defends watchfully.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, Down the leg side this time, Shardul misses his clip and poor Smith has to go to the other side, to his left, to stop that! Keeping drills going on?

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, My word, what was that? Lucky not to be called a wide.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, Full, outside off, swinging in, 147 kph, Shardul Thakur gets across, comes forward and defends it towards cover.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Switches to around the wicket, and bowls it on a good length from wide of the crease to create an inward angle. The ball keeps coming in and whizzes past the off stump, as Sundar leaves it. The keeper moves to his right to grab it behind the stumps.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Angling in, around leg, on the dragged length, Sundar keeps it out towards mid-wicket off the front foot.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, On the fuller side, and outside off, going away, Washington Sundar comes forward and shoulders his arms.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, No run.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, On a length, around leg stump, Washington Sundar looks to defend but the ball pitches and then moves away, taking the outside edge. Lands short of gully.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Full, on middle and off, flicked to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Flashback, 'Gabba, 2021.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Edged but doesn't carry! A bit fuller and around off, enticing the batter for a drive, Sundar comes forward to defend it but gets an outside edge that dribbles to second slip, who collects it there.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, On a good length, coming in with an angle, around middle, Shardul Thakur gets cramped and loses his bottom half of the bat but manages to drop it down beside the pitch on the leg side. Takes a quick single.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, Down the leg side, Shardul initially thinks of playing at one, but at the last moment, lets it be.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, And this one shoots off. On a length, down the leg side, Thakur looks to clip it fine but misses. The ball keeps on moving after pitching and poor keeper Jamie Smith dives full stretch to his left, making a half stop with his left glove.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, Full, outside off, Shardul Thakur looks to defend but the ball pitches and then swings away, beating the outside edge. Barely carries to the keeper.

So Jadeja's dismissal was Archer's 6th wicket for the series. 

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, BEATEN! Nagging length and around the fourth stump line, holds its line, Washington Sundar strides forward to defend it but gets beaten on the outside edge. 

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, The ball stays a bit low this time, on the fuller side again and outside off, Sundar shoulders his arms again. The keeper collects it on the bounce.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Lands it fuller again and outside off, angling away from the batter, Sundar leaves it.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Better delivery. Fuller in length and closer to the off stump, Sundar trusts the seam of the ball to move away and shoulders arms again.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, On a length, outside off, moving away, 130 kph, easy leave for Washington Sundar.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, On a good length, outside off, coming in, Shardul Thakur watches it carefully and works it behind square leg for a single.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Switches to around the wicket, and bowls it full and around off, tries to nip back in, but it is too fuller. Sundar jams it out towards gully.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, A bit of dragged back length and similar line, just outside off, angling away, Sundar shoulders his arms this time.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Pretty wide outside off, Washington Sundar lets it pass.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, This one nips back in sharply, Thakur looks to play straight but works it off the inner half of the bat, to the right of mid on, for a single. Moves to 30 (51).

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, No run.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Chris bowls it fuller, trying to find some swing from there, and keeps the line around the fourth stump. The ball goes and moves away from the batter. Sundar is happy to let it go.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Angling in, a bit fuller now and around middle, Thakur looks to defend it but gets an inside edge that rolls away to wide deep fine leg for one.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, ! Thrashed!

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Landed outside off, on a length, Thakur defends again.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Full, around off, watchfully defended.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Four!

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Nagging length and outside off, angling away, Washington Sundar leaves it. End of a successful over from Archer.

Washington Sundar walks in next, at number 8, replacing Ravindra Jadeja.

Jofra Archer to Ravindra Jadeja, ! CAUGHT! Jofra Archer strikes with the new ball and the overnight set batter Ravindra Jadeja is gone!

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, Edged and again just short! Archer swings it back, on the fuller length and around off, Shardul Thakur comes forward to drive it, but generates an outside edge that goes to the right of second slip, where it falls short of Harry Brook, who goes across low to his right to take it. The ball goes through his hands and rolls away behind the slip cordon. A single taken.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, Beaten now. On a length, outside off, Shardul Thakur looks to drive it on the up but leaves a massive gap between bat and pad.

Jofra Archer to Ravindra Jadeja, Tries for the same ball, does Archer, but overcooks it. Ends up dishing a half volley around leg stump and Jadeja clips it through mid-wicket for a single, for the first run of Day 2.

Jofra Archer to Ravindra Jadeja, EDGED, SHORT! Almost a replica of how Archer dismissed Jaiswal in the first innings of the third Test.

Jofra Archer or Brydon Carse from the other end? The former. 16-2-44-0 so far.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Moving away, on the fuller side and well outside off, Shardul leaves it. The keeper dives across to his right to grab it behind the stumps.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, No run.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, On the hard length and around the fourth stump line, Shardul Thakur remains on the back foot and defends it.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, A loose ball. Short and wide outside off, Shardul Thakur latches onto the cut, but finds point.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, No run.

The players slowly make their way out to the middle. Stuart Broad chooses his words very carefully on air, saying that 'The conditions are wonderful, for England', that comma was for the pause. If any, it does not look like a morning in the first place. It is overcast and just slightly better than what it was in the final session of Day 1. The SECOND NEW BALL has been taken and Chris Woakes will make the first use of it. Shardul Thakur to face. Here we go!

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, On a length, just outside off, watchfully defended.

PITCH REPORT - Deep Dasgupta is pitchside. He begins by mentioning that the forecast suggests overcast conditions for the morning, which could make things interesting for the bowlers. He confirms that England are expected to take the second new ball right away, looking to make use of the conditions. Talking about the surface, Deep says the pitch has played pretty much as expected, fair for batting but with a bit of spice for the bowlers. Points out that there is some patchiness, which has made

KL Rahul is down for a quick chat. He starts by saying he’s really enjoying his cricket at the moment. With age and experience, he feels there’s more clarity, especially as an opener, where things can swing either way. He reflects on the value of acceptance, staying calm under pressure, and how factors beyond the field have also helped him maintain balance. Adds that he is just trying to score runs and play the way that suits him best. It’s all about contributing to the team in any way

It's a weekday, so the crowd may take time to fill in, but expect the atmosphere to grow louder with every session. There are afternoon showers predicted in the weather forecast, which could interrupt the game for a while, but things look good for now. So, what’s at stake on Day 2? Momentum. Pressure. Position. This first hour is going to be gold-dust. So, stay tuned for more updates!

As for England, Day 1 may feel like a missed opportunity. They started well but didn’t get much reward with the new ball, beating the bat often but not finding the edges. Archer and Stokes were the standout performers while Dawson, on his comeback, plugged away nicely with his accurate left-arm spin. But overall, the hosts allowed India to wrestle momentum back. They'll hope for a fresh start with the second new ball, for which they will be keen to take first in the morning. The seamers have a

India, meanwhile, will be quietly pleased with their performance with the bat. They came in under testing skies and put on 264 for 4 by stumps on Day 1, or effectively, 264/5. The concern now, of course, is Pant, who underwent scans that revealed a fracture, and he is set to miss the remainder of the series, according to the sources. Will he return to bat? That only depends on what the medical team conveys to Indian management, as he is surely not going to keep wickets. Another important questi

So, how did Day 1 unfold? It was a tale of three sessions and changing fortunes. India won the morning with grit and control, thanks to a stoic opening stand between Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul. The post-lunch period belonged to England, who hit back hard and took three key wickets. The third session, though, swung back towards India as Sai Sudharsan and Rishabh Pant counter-attacked. But just when things looked settled, Pant went down injured while playing a reverse sweep, and had to reti

Hello and welcome to all of you! It's Day 2 of the fourth Test between England and India ​​​​​​from Manchester, and we’re all set for what promises to be another absorbing day of red-ball cricket. Both teams have fought hard in this series, and this Test could well decide the momentum heading into the final stretch. England, having chosen to bowl, would feel they missed a trick on Day 1, while India, despite not having any centurions, have held their ground strongly. 

... DAY 2, SESSION 1 ...

264/4 or 264/5? As we type, Rishabh Pant is being taken for scans on his right foot, which had swelled to a significant degree. With Washington Sundar still to bat, highly unlikely that India will rush Pant to come out to bat. He might still come out and play with an injured foot, but only if the need arises. Without a doubt, England will take the second new ball the first thing in the morning. The first hour will be very crucial, as with the pitch already showing signs of inconsistent boun

A disappointing day for England. They might call themselves unlucky with the new ball, as the ball beat the bat numerous times and the edges, when generated, did not carry to the fielders. On another day, Yashasvi Jaiswal would have been dismissed in the first over of the day. But as it panned out, luck favoured the tourists and then, the hosts ran out of patience, bowling too short and wide and literally wasting the new ball. The bowlers tried hard but only Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes looke

A day of 3 sessions and India take the honours 2-1. After being put into bat under testing conditions, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal batted with supreme grit to see off the entire morning session, unseparated with the partnership score of 78. Then came England's counter-punching act, as they reduced the visitors from 94/0 to 140/3, breaking through that top order. They could have had another, but Jamie Smith put down a fairly simple chance of Sai Sudharsan on 20, with the team score at that

Well, Stokes has had enough. It seems like he wanted to take the second new ball but the umpires feel that the light has become very poor and they take the players off the field. In a normal scenario, this would have been play delayed due to bad light but because we are past the official Stumps time, the players won't come back out. STUMPS ON DAY 1, INDIA 264/4!

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Full, around off, flicked straight to short mid-wicket.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, ! HAMMERED! Stokes brought mid on up to tempt Jadeja to go over the top and the latter accepts the challenge.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Full and down the leg side, perhaps a touch slower, Shardul clips it through square leg for a run.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Quicker ball, on middle and leg, Thakur goes back and punches it towards cover.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, No run.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Landed outside off, Ravindra Jadeja punches it to the right of cover and pinches a quick single.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, Around the wicket to the right hander as well, around leg stump, ST defends.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Landed outside off, 90 kph, Ravindra Jadeja cuts it behind square on the off side for another single.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, Short and wide outside off, 79 kph, Shardul mistimes his cut to sweeper cover for one.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, Full, outside off, from over the wicket, Thakur defends.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, A bit of a round-arm action, from around the wicket, fired in on middle and leg, Ravindra Jadeja goes back and works it through square leg for a run.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, Short, outside off, Shardul Thakur rocks back and punches it through the covers for a single.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Full and outside off, watchfully defended.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Very full, outside off, Jadeja employs the sweep now, but cannot get it past Jofra Archer at square leg.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Full, a touch wider outside off, Ravindra Jadeja lunges to keep it out.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Full and around off, Ravindra keeps it out. A maiden for Dawson. Wonder how would Jadeja have felt to see his mirror image bowling to him. Over ends in 2 minutes!

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, No run.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, Quicker one, slipped down the leg side, left alone by Shardul Thakur.

All eyes on Ben Stokes. Does he take the second new ball?

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, No run.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, Flatter one around leg, this time, Thakur opts to pad it away past leg slip.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, No run.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, Oh, just short!

The fourth umpire does come out now, with the light meter. Joe Root has a word with one of the umpires. The reading is noted now. Just a reminder - no light will be offered. It is entirely in the hands of the two umpires. Play goes on for now. Will be interesting to see what will be the decision if England take the second new ball. Joe Root is back on. 3-0-11-0 so far.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, ! Too full and around off, no mid off in place and Shardul Thakur drives it on the full and gets it well to the right of Stokes at silly mid off and finds the fence.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, Flatter delivery outside off, goes straight on, Thakur hangs deep and blocks it off.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Full and straight at the stumps now, Jadeja pushes it down to mid on.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Quicker one again and outside off, left alone by RJ.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, No run.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Floated up around off, on a nagging length and Jadeja blocks it off.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Flighted up, full and around off, stroked away through square covers for a single. 250 is now up for India as well.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Flatter one on middle, this is bowled into the deck and keeps a shade low. Thakur backs away and plays it back to the bowler.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Back of a length and around off, Shardul dabs it down in front of covers and races through for the single.

Has the ploy worked? The umpires are now having a chat regarding the light. Stokes is not happy. For now, play goes on.

Ben Stokes to Ravindra Jadeja, A slight hesitation but comfortable enough for the batters. Hard length at the stumps, tapped across towards mid-wicket for a single by Jadeja.

Ahem. The first sign of anything of this sort in the whole day. It has gotten gloomier but it was like this at the start of the session as well. However, no Indian batter had complained till now. Probably, with the day already into extended time, Jadeja is trying to show some gamesmanship. Maybe, just create that doubt in the minds of the umpires regarding the light and either convince them that is dark enough to go off the field, or, delay the taking of the second new ball. Smart tactic. Nothin

Ben Stokes to Ravindra Jadeja, No run.

Ben Stokes to Ravindra Jadeja, Good length, around the fifth stump line and sliding straight on. Jadeja leaves it alone.

Ben Stokes to Ravindra Jadeja, Wide! Banged in well short and wide outside off, flying over the batter's head and a wide is signalled.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Dug in a bit and over leg stump, Thakur gets inside the line and flicks it off the hips down to fine leg for a single.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Good-length delivery, in the channel, angling in. Thakur taps it towards covers and looks for the single, which is on but Jadeja sends him back.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Well, another single off the last ball and Shardul Thakur is hogging all the strike, it seems. Flighted ball around leg, clipped away in front of mid-wicket for an easy single.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Bowled flatter and on middle, Thakur stays back and punches it towards mid off.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Nice and full on middle and off, Thakur shows the full face of the bat and plays it to mid off.

Wonder the thought process of sending Shardul Thakur ahead of Washington Sundar. One thought could be that with the second new ball still a few overs away, at that time of the dismissal, quick runs could be scored through Thakur's attacking instinct. Additionally, if he survives till the second new ball, he could attack that cherry as well.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, No run.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Very full and on leg, Thakur pushes it down to mid on.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Tossed up, on a length and around off, tapped away towards cover.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Full and straight, a half-punch from Shardul Thakur towards mid on and he sets off for the single. A tired-looking Jofra Archer is slow to react as the batters make it through with ease and Stokes isn't quite pleased with that effort.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Hard length again, angled in from around off but this one holds its line. Thakur blocks it down to covers.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Hard length outside off, zipping through. Thakur has half a push at it but gets beaten past the outside edge.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Full again, around off, looking to swing it away but Thakur leans on and squeezes it away through covers and picks up a couple of runs.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Fuller one, wide outside the off stump, seaming away. Thakur leaves it alone.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, ! That is gorgeous! Back of a length and outside off, fractionally on the shorter side and Shardul Thakur pounces on it. Thakur rocks back and punches it square behind point for a boundary.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Full again, on off, eased away to the left of covers for a quick single by Shardul.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Quite full and on leg, Thakur flicks it straight to mid-wicket.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Flighted up, full and on off, a hint of turn as well. Shardul Thakur watchfully blocks it off.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Flatter delivery on middle, worked away to mid-wicket.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Shortish length around off, this one holds in the deck. Thakur tentatively plays it away from the body and to mid off.

Liam Dawson is brought back into the attack now.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, 1 run.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Back of a length and over off, Shardul Thakur hops back to defend. End of a icket-maiden over from Stokesy!

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, !CAUGHT! Would you believe it? Midas has done it again!

Shardul Thakur walks out to bat next.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Back of a length and around off, Sudharsan presses back to defend.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, On a fuller length and angling back in towards the stumps, Sudharsan blocks it with a straight bat.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Hard length around off, punched away gently towards cover.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Back of a length and around off, Sudharsan allows the ball to come towards him before nudging it down beside the deck on the off side.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Bowled into the pitch and this one holds in the deck. Jadeja goes on the back foot and turns it to mid-wicket.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Fired in full and around off, Jadeja jams it out to the right of the bowler.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, No run.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, ! Picked-up and dispatched!

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Flighted, on off, blocked off by Jadeja.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Floated up around off, Jadeja gets well forward and blocks it off.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Pitched up in the channel outside off, zipping through, Sudharsan plays inside the line of this one.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, ! Lovely shot! Back of a length and outside off, not that much width on offer. Sai Sudharsan hops up on his toes and punches it down just behind point and picks up a boundary.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Full again, on the pads, Sudharsan leans on and clips it away sweetly through mid-wicket for a couple of runs.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Full of a good length, on off, Sudharsan dead-bats it back to the bowler.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Goes full and angles it down leg, a deliberate tactic used by Stokes to Sudharsan, who misses the flick.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Back of a length and on a tight line around off, Sudharsan looks to tap it away behind point but almost gets chopped on as the ball takes the bottom edge and rolls past the off stump towards the keeper.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Oh, that wasn't far away! Attempted arm-ball, bowled around off, Jadeja puts a stride in and decides to leave and the ball holds its line, just going past the off stump.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Tossed up, full and outside off, Jadeja comes forward and pats it down to mid off.

Joe Root to Sai Sudharsan, Full and straight, flicked away past square leg for a single.

Joe Root to Sai Sudharsan, Nicely flighted, on off, Sudharsan bunts it out to the right of cover and looks for the single but Jadeja sends him back.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Flatter one, angled into middle and leg, tucked away from inside the crease through mid-wicket for one.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, No run.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Pitched up around off, angling in, Sudharsan solidly blocks it off.

Ben Stokes to Ravindra Jadeja, Hard length again, over off, Jadeja tucks it to the left of mid-wicket and picks up a quick single.

Ben Stokes to Ravindra Jadeja, Just back of a length and angled into the batter, Jadeja fails to work it away.

Ben Stokes to Ravindra Jadeja, ! Edged but well controlled by Jadeja! Hard length in the channel, nibbling away off the deck. Ravindra Jadeja is taken aback by the extra bounce and jars at it but gets an outside edge that goes down and through the vacant third slip region for a boundary.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, A bit fuller and slanted into the pads, Sudharsan clips it away in front of square leg for a single.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Stokes begins the new spell from around the stumps. Bowls it on a good length around off, Sudharsan stays back ad keeps it down towards gully.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Nicely flighted, in and around off, Jadeja lunges and blocks it into the off side.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, No run.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, No run.

Joe Root to Sai Sudharsan, At the stumps, shovelled away through mid-wicket for a single.

Joe Root to Sai Sudharsan, ! Smashed through the off side and that will be a MAIDEN TEST FIFTY for Sai Sudharsan! Lobbed up wide of the off stump, Sudharsan lines it up and leans on to cream the cover drive through the gap and for a boundary. A very fine knock on his return from Sai.

Joe Root to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Chris Woakes to Ravindra Jadeja, Full again, dished out wide outside off, left alone by Jadeja once again.

Chris Woakes to Ravindra Jadeja, Fuller in length, angled well across off, Ravindra Jadeja lets it through to the keeper.

DRINKS BREAK! Right then, as Rishabh Pant calls for the physio, the umpires also decide that it is time for drinks. We have an hour and fifteen minutes worth of play in this final session and India have written off the blemishes of the second session and are looking in a strong position. Sai Sudharsan is just a couple of runs away from what could be his maiden Test fifty and Rishabh Pant is playing in the most Rishabh Pant way possible. He might have injured himself here with an outlandish s

Ouch! Rishabh Pant is looking in some discomfort and is unable to continue. A blow to the batting team as Rishabh Pant is retired hurt.

Chris Woakes to Rishabh Pant, Huge appeal for LBW, not given. Did that pitch outside leg? Did Pant hit it? England take the review. Oh dear. This might turn out to be a bad review. The impact itself seems to be outside off. Forget that, UltraEdge detects a spike when the ball is near the bat. Review lost. Coming to the ball, Pant looked to play the reverse sweep a bit early and seeing that, Woakes fires a pretty full ball. Pant looks to play the shot but misses and is hit on the pads. Woa

Chris Woakes to Rishabh Pant, No run.

Chris Woakes to Rishabh Pant, No run.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Brilliant fielding by Zak Crawley.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Four!

Excellent effort from Zak Crawley! But has he done enough? This is referred upstairs. Yes, confirms the third umpire.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, From over the wicket now, landed outside off, Rishabh hangs back to defend.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Jumps down the track but is not quite to the pitch of the ball. Is forced to defend.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Full, outside off, Pant leans and drives it through the covers for a couple. Moves to 31 (41).

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, From around the wicket, on middle and leg, fuller in length, Rishabh Pant lunges to defend.

Jonathan Trott on air has spotted some reverse swing. If it indeed is the case, expect Stokes to jump in soon.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, From around the wicket, on a fuller length, watchfully defended.

Chris Woakes to Rishabh Pant, On a length, down the leg side, Rishabh Pant walks across and tucks it through mid-wicket for a run.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Down the leg side, SS tucks it to the left of mid on for a single.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Full and straight, 132 kph, Sai drives it straight back to the bowler who mimes a throw back.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Full and slightly wider outside off, moving further away, a confident leave this time from Sudharsan.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, just around middle, angling away, Sai Sudharsan lunges to defend but the ball seams past the outside edge.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Shortish and down the leg side again, Sudharsan pushes it through mid-wicket for another single.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, 200 UP FOR INDIA! Excellent recovery after losing their way in the second session. Full and down the leg side, Rishabh tucks it through mid-wicket for one more. This stand is now worth 60.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Down the leg side, Rishabh tucks it through square leg for a single.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Around off, Pant leans to block again.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Full, around middle and leg, Rishabh Pant lunges to defend.

Well, England get one wish at least. They finally bowl their first maiden post Tea! Just the 8 maidens through the day but this final session has been pretty much ordinary from them.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Full, around off, watchfully defended.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, outside off, SS shoulders arms.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Thrown up, wide outside off, Sai goes hard on the drive and slices it towards backward point.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Full and straight, well blocked out.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, On middle and off, Sudharsan walks into the shot and defends.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Full, outside off, Sai Sudharsan pushes at it but the ball moves away and beats the outside edge.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Full and around off, pushed towards cover.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Quicker once again, 86 kph, SS goes back and works it through mid-wicket for a run.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Flighted delivery now, 84 kph, Sai comes forward and defends.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Full and just outside off, Sai Sudharsan lunges to defend.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Landed outside off, 86 kph, fractionally short, Rishabh Pant stays back and punches it through the covers for a single.

Double change? Yes. This could be either because of the ball doing nothing, or because of the fading light. Or simply because Stokes wants to take a gamble. Brings back Liam Dawson. 7-0-21-1 so far.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, around off, 131 kph, Sai drops it down near his feet.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Full, outside off, hint of away movement, Sudharsan keeps his bat behind his pad as he plays inside the line.

Chris Woakes to Rishabh Pant, Full, from over the wicket, down the leg side, Rishabh Pant works it towards deep mid-wicket for a run.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Down the leg side, Sai clips it wide of mid on, to his left, for a single.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Back of a length, outside off, Sudharsan goes for the cut but gets cramped for room and there is a bottom edge eked towards point.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, 2 runs.

So that's 1005 runs in England in Test cricket right now, for Pant.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Landed outside off, Pant tries to guide it through the packed slip cordon but only gets a bottom edge.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, No ball!

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Down the leg side, nudged through square leg for a single.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, ! FETCH THAT! 1000 TEST RUNS IN ENGLAND FOR PANT and he brings up in typical Pant style!

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Down the leg side, Rishabh Pant nudges it towards short mid-wicket.

Things happening after Tea. Not for England. ​​​For ​India. 33 runs have come in 8 overs since the break and curiously, we have seen just 3 boundaries off the bat.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, No run.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, outside off, Sai goes back and dabs it towards the slip cordon.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, A wild short ball, down the leg side, Sudharsan has nothing to do with it and gets out of harm's way, Poor keeper Jamie Smith has to dive full stretch to his right to stop that.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, Full, outside off, Pant pushes it towards cover for one.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Slightly overdoing the leg side tactic, are England. Sai Sudharsan is pretty much aware of that and is trying his level best to avoid falling over to the off side. Flicks this through mid-wicket for a run.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, 1 run.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, Did that hit the bat? Yes, it did.

As expected, the stands have now become jam packed. The first session was fairly empty, the second started to see people filling in and now, this looks like a blockbuster. The only shame is that, with the light fading so quickly, we hope that the crowd is not kept devoid of action.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, outside off, Sai pushes it towards point.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Outside off, pushed towards point now.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, LEG BYES! England are trying to get Sudharsan caught down the leg side. Full and straight, from around the wicket, Sudharsan misses his clip but the ball hits his front pad and races to the fine leg fence. Carse starts to appeal but then bails out, keeping the height and angle in mind.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, outside off, Sai Sudharsan rises with the bounce and pushes it towards point.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Fuller this time, around middle, Pant just brings his bat down, arguably to defend and the ball runs off the face of the bat through mid-wicket. A single taken.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, No run.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, A bouncer, down the leg side, let through. 10 from the over, Jofra Archer's bowling figures read 15-2-41-0.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, And now, Pant tries the reverse paddle but misses it completely. The ball hits him on his arm and drops down on the off side. A leg bye taken.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, ! FEROCIOUS! Now, this is getting real bad.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, WIDE. Just too short, goes way above the batter. Pant gets out of harm's way while the keeper, Jamie Smith, has to leap full stretch to stop that. Can just get one glove on it, but manages to stop it.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, On middle and leg, nudged through mid-wicket for another single. That's 4 runs off the first three balls of this over, without any risk.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, A bit too straight, Sai Sudharsan clips it behind square leg for a couple.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, Down the leg side, helped through mid-wicket for a single.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Outside off, bunted towards point.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, around middle and off, steep bounce, Sudharsan rises with the ball and fends it down.

Time for a chat again. And this one is more animated than the last one. These two have been taking the quick singles but the calling has been way off so far. Pant is just sorting it out.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Miscommunication again! Full, on middle, Sai Sudharsan looks to work it to the leg side but the ball holds up on the pitch a little and comes in late. The leading edge is induced and the ball goes down the ground. 

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Full and straight, 135 kph, Rishabh pushes it towards point and calls for a quick single, making it with ease.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, A touch short now, 132 kph, outside off, barely comes off the surface. Pant looks to cut but mistimes it towards cover.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Full and straight, angling in, Rishabh Pant defends it awakwardly.

Ricky Ponting on air calls out loud for some variation.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, On a fuller length, a touch wider outside off, SS goes back and shoulders arms.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, A bouncer, on middle and leg, Sai ducks under it.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Full, around off, pushed to the off side.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, ! CREAMED! Taking it on, is Sai and growing in confidence as well.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Around middle and leg, Sudharsan pushes it towards mid on.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, On a fuller length, outside off, 135 kph, angling in, from around the wicket, Sai Sudharsan comes forward to defend but the ball pitches and then curls away late to beat the outside edge. For the first time in the day, Archer's looking frustrated.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Hard length outside off, Pant eases it down to the point region.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Fractioanlly short over middle, Sai Sudharsan hangs back and swipes the pull in front of square leg for a single in the deep.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Just a little hesitation from the non-striker but the batters make it through.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Much better from Pant! A touch fuller and outside off, Rishabh Pant leans on this time and strokes it through the cover region for a couple of runs as Ben Stokes chases the ball down.

Not good signs for England. Not good signs for any cricket fan. It has suddenly got gloomier and darker. On that boundary on 53.2, Brydon Carse simply did not pick the ball. 

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Beaten!

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Back of a length, angled in towards the hips, Sai gets inside the line and drops it in front of short leg.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Hard length over the stumps, pushed down towards mid on.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Even shorter now and around off again, trying to angle it in. Sudharsan sits down and ducks well under the ball.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, ! Takes it on, does Sai and gets the boundary. Banged in short and at the batter, Sai Sudharsan goes for the hook and gets it over backward square leg. Brydon Carse who is at fine leg, picks it up really late but in all likeliness, he wouldn't have reached it even if he had picked it up sooner. A boundary to Sudharsan.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Another short ball, around off and zipping through. Sudharsan sways away from the line of the delivery. 

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, A quick short ball over middle, Rishabh Pant gets inside the line and angles the pull down to fine leg, lifting one leg up and collects a single. That was awkwardly done but nothing new for Pant.

Stokes or Archer? The latter. 12-2-23-0 so far for Jofra Archer. An interesting contest awaits between Archer and Pant and the winner of this contest might very well decide this opening day.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Shorter in length and outside off, Sudharsan hangs back and gets up on his toes before dabbing the ball down wide of the slip cordon.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Another bumper, 134 kph and around off, Sudharsan comfortably leans back and sways away from the line of the bal.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Back of a length and in the channel, this one stays a bit low. Sudharsan is taken aback and jams the bat down in time to dab the ball towards short third. 

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Dug in short and around off, Sai Sudharsan keeps his hands down and leans back to let the ball pass through to the keeper.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Back of a length and around off, Pant taps the ball down in front of covers and picks up a quick single. The 150 is up for India as well.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Oh, aggression from Pant right after the break!

Welcome back. 38 overs left in the day. Potentially, we see around 30 of those being completed tonight. An Indian fightback will see the visitors top the day after a fine start. On the other hand, if England continue to build on their momentum, one could see another cracker of a session. The players are back on the field and it will be Brydon Carse to kick things off post Tea. 11-1-44-0 so far. Rishabh Pant to face. Let's go again!

... DAY 1, FINAL SESSION ...

While everything has seemingly gone in England's favour in that session, there was one small blemish. Jamie Smith put down a fairly simple chance of Sai Sudharsan on 20, off Ben Stokes' bowling and had that been taken, the hosts would have been firmly on top. Maybe, that could be the luck that Sudharsan needs, to kickstart what could be a big Test career. Does anyone remember Marvan Atapattu? Strangely, in that session, the Dukes ball swung more than in the first session. The hosts will hope t

Right then, 94/0 has become 149/3 at Tea and the final session on Day 1 could yet see plenty more ebbs and flows. India have two left-handers at the crease and there are two more left-handers to follow. Jofra Archer has a brilliant record against the southpaws and if he gets one wicket early in the session, he can go on a bit of a streak. Plenty of action to look forward to, so stick around as the post-Tea session is up next.

As for England, Jofra Archer didn't get into any sort of a rhythm in that second session but Liam Dawson did manage to take his County form and replicate it in a big way by getting rid of Jaiswal. Ben Stokes yet again took up the mantle to bowl at a crucial juncture and got the better of his opposite number, Shubman Gill, a wicket that might have propelled the hosts into a position of real promise. Gill, on the other hand, will be highly disappointed with the way he got out and India will ha

The first 15-20 mins after Lunch were more or less a replica of the first session but then came the breakthrough for England as Chris Woakes picked up his 36th wicket at Old Trafford in Tests by dismissing KL Rahul. Yashasvi Jaiswal continued to persevere and brought up a gritty half century as Sai Sudharsan looked determined to get his eye in and left plenty of deliveries, going against his natural instincts, which did work but has also resulted in a very sluggish knock, one that is still b

End of an intriguing afternoon session on Day 1 here at Old Trafford and England have staged a very fine comeback after seemingly being under the pump in that first session. As many as 3 wickets fell in the session as India could muster up just 71 runs in 26 overs, setting up a crucial session post the Tea break.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Safely negotiated! Short of a length and directed towards the rib cage. Sai Sudharsan stays back and manages to dab it down behind the short leg fielder. THAT WILL BE TEA ON DAY 1!

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, A bumper now, over middle and attacking the batter but ai does well to duck under it.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Nagging length on off, 139 kph and straightens a bit. Sudharsan stays back to block but gets an outside edge that goes down towards gully.

Time for a chat.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Slightly fuller and darted in towards middle, Rishabh Pant jabs it across to square leg. The batters look for the single but there is a bit of miscommunication before the batters eventually scrape through for a single.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Full and angled well down the leg side, Pant fails to flick it away. Stokes is a bit frustrated with that delivery.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Banged in short and over middle, Sudharsan pulls it away down to long leg for a single.

That super quick over from Dawson means that Ben Stokes can have one more go before Tea.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, On a dragged length around the top of off, Pant lazily presses back and pushes it towards cover.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, No run.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, On the shorter side again, around middle, Sai Sudharsan hangs back and wristily flicks it away in front of deep mid-wicket. The batters look for two but will have to settle with just a single.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Bowled into the pitch, on off, and Pant just shovels it across through mid-wicket for a single.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Shorter one, 90 kph and angled in from outside off. Pant hangs back and taps it into the off side.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Fighting fire with fire!

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, No run.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Four!

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, outside off, Sai Sudharsan defends it to the leg side.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, A bouncer, around off, easily ducked under.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, 1 run.

Rishabh Pant walks in next, at number 5, replacing his skipper, Shubman Gill.

Ben Stokes to Shubman Gill, ! LBW! Midas does it again! Massive misjudgement from the Indian captain as the English captain dismisses him, on just the third ball of their battle, much to the cheer of the crowd.

Close, close, close! And given by Rod Tucker! Took his own time and then raised his finger. Gill has challenged the decision.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Landed around off, 86 kph, defended to the leg side.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Over the wicket to the left hander, with a slip and leg slip in place, full and outside off, Sai Sudharsan clips it towards short mid-wicket.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, The arm ball, 91 kph, short of full, SG goes back and works it through mid-wicket for a single.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, Full and just around off, 88 kph, Shubman keeps it out.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, Similar ball, Gill defends again.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, No run.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, around middle and off, Sai defends it to the leg side. Eventful over.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, ! My word, almost a repeat of Sudharsan's dismissal in the first Test, by the same bowler! My my my, with Tea around the corner! A harmless delivery, full and down the leg side, Sai Sudharsan looks to flick but only manages an inside edge. The ball flies behind and the keeper, Jamie Smith gets to the ball to his right as well, but the ball probably wobbles a touch and he fumbles, eventually putting the ball down! How costly will this prove for the home

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, WIDE. A bouncer attempted from Stokes, a rare change from the plan in this session, but it is banged in his half and goes way above the batter.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Another bouncer, this one does not bounce as much as the previous one, Sudharsan ducks.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, outside off, from around the wicket, 139 kph, Sai Sudharsan defends.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, ! JUST OVER! Gill has shown his intentions to take the left-arm spinner on and he is not going to back away one bit. Flighted, around middle and off, the skipper dances down the track to go down the ground but is not quite to the pitch of the ball. Mistimes it over mid on, where Ben Stokes leaps to his left but the ball just eludes his reach and races to the long on fence. Gill smiles but his heart would have been in his mouth for a moment.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, Similar ball, around off, 89 kph, Shubman drives it towards cover.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, Silly point comes in for this ball. Gill lunges to block.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, No run.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, A touch short, outside off, 90 kph, Sudharsan goes back and whips it through mid-wicket for a single.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Landed outside off, Sai Sudharsan stays back to defend.

Ben Stokes to Shubman Gill, Full and wide outside off, Gill shoulders arms.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, A bit too straight now, Sai tucks it straight to square leg.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Fuller this time, around off, Sudharsan pushes it towards mid off.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Ben Stokes to Shubman Gill, Ahhh.. fire is met with ice!

Talking more about Jaiswal, especially about his dismissal, perhaps there was a bit of drift on that delivery.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Full again, around middle, hit away straight to mid on.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Tossed up, quite full and outside off, Sai Sudharsan looks to replicate the shot from a couple of balls earlier and flicks the wrists to drive but doesn't get it past Ben Stokes at mid off.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Nagging length, bowled on off and darting back in, Sudharsan goes onto the back foot and clips it into the leg side.

Interesting. Yashasvi Jaiswal has become just the first Indian opener in 50 years to register a 50-plus score at Old Trafford! 

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Four!

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, 1 run.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, No run.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Just full of a good length and around the fourth stump line, Sudharsan neither gets forward nor does he rock back and pushes at it. Gets an outside edge down towards the slip cordon.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Back of a length and angled in at the ribs, Sudharsan gets up on his toes and taps it across in front of mid-wicket.

Jofra Archer to Shubman Gill, On a good length around middle, attacking the pads, Gill nudges it away through square leg and picks up a single.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Lovely batting. Full, just around off, Sudharsan shows the perfect face of the bat and just blocks it down the pitch. It is past the bowler and there is no mid off, so by the time cover can get across to cut the ball off, a single is taken.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Similar ball, on a slightly wider line, pushed towards gully again.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, outside off, from around the wicket, Sai Sudharsan rides the bounce and dabs it to gully.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, Very uncharacteristic of Shubman Gill, a wild hack to the leg side! Darted in full and on leg stump, Gill sits down and looks to slog it behind square leg but gets an inside edge past leg slip. The ball rolls down towards fine leg where it is cut off and Gill picks up a couple of runs.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, Around middle, this one is angled into the batter, Gill defends it down the line with ease.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, Tossed up, around off and middle, Gill lunges and makes another block.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, Landed just around off, Gill is watchful in defense.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, No run.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, No run.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Hard length around off, brings the line closer to the off stump, Sudharsan covers the line and blocks it off.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Good length outside off, seaming away, Sudharsan leaves it alone.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Sai is very eager to pinch the quick single here but he isn't getting his wish.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, From around the wicket, on a good length, slightly wider outside off, Sai Sudharsan lets it pass.

Jofra Archer to Shubman Gill, Great effort by Midas. Overpitched, outside off, Shubman Gill gets a good stride and drives it to the left of mid off. Ben Stokes throws himself to his left and makes a half stop, keeping the batters to a single.

Jofra Archer to Shubman Gill, A full toss, outside off, probably surprised even Gill, as he just patted it towards cover.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Fired in at the stumps, at 97 kph and Sai simply blocks it off yet again. Just a single and a big wicket off that over for Dawson.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, 1 run.

Skipper Shubman Gill walks in next, at number 4, replacing Yashasvi Jaiswal. Massive boos around the ground as Gill strides out.

Liam Dawson to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! EDGED AND TAKEN! A left-arm spinner dismisses a left-arm batter and after 8 years, Liam Dawson takes a wicket in a Test match!

Gill's complaint taken seriously? Jokes apart, it does seem that something has been discussed over the sledging episode in the third Test. Despite India batting so well and so patiently, there has been absolutely no instance of sledging. Good sportsmanship.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, A bumper to end the over and a maiden for Jofra Archer. Dug in short at 133 kph and right over middle, Sudharsan moves his head away from the line of the ball by leaning back yet again.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Good length on the pads, turned away to mid-wicket for another dot ball.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, A bumper now, over off stump and angling in towards the batter, Sudharsan leans back to sway away from the line of the ball.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Relatively full and straight, 139 kph, Sudharsan leans on and defends it off.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Hard length again and around off, tapped straight down to point and again, Sudharsan wants a single but Jaiswal isn't interested.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, No run there! Hard length over off, cutting back in. Sai stays back and dabs it into the off side and walks down the pitch for a single but Jaiswal sends him back quickly. Ben Stokes was quick to attack the ball, sharing in front covers.

DRINKS BREAK. Are there two Ravindra Jadejas playing in this game? How quick was that last over from Dawson? After yet another slap from the ICC for poor over rate in the previous Test, Dawson might just help England improve in that department at least. Though ideally, it would be better if he brings his domestic experience into play and helps them in the wickets' department. Having said that, the bowling from the hosts has been improved post Lunch and that has resulted in Rahul's wicket. Contra

Liam Dawson to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nagging length on off and middle, Jaiswal camps on the back foot and keeps it out.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.

Liam Dawson to Yashasvi Jaiswal, 1 run.

Liam Dawson to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Oh, an outside edge! Gives this one a bit more flight and bowls it full and around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal looks to block but gets an outside edge that goes down and wide of the first slip. The ball rolls towards deep third as the batters pick up a couple of runs.

Liam Dawson to Yashasvi Jaiswal, A bit fuller and around off, 91 kph, Jaiswal leans on and squeezes it towards short third.

Double bowling change? Perhaps it is time for Stokesy? Interesting. It is a double bowling change, but it is not the skipper. The ball is thrown to Liam Dawson instead.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Excellent running!

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Good-length delivery, angled in towards middle and just holds its line, Sudharsan blocks it off the outer half of the blade and into the off side.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Full of a good length, attacking off stump at 138 kph, Sudharsan solidly defends it off.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, ! Too straight and put away! Fuller in length, on middle and leg, Sai Sudharsan plays a stylish flick, through square leg and the ball has enough legs on it to reach the fence this time.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Starts from around the wicket and angles a length ball down the leg side. Sudharsan misses the flick as the ball goes through to the keeper.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, A snorter from Carse as he switches back to around the stumps. This is bowled quick and short over the stumps, just nibbling away and YJ has to lean back and sway away from the line of the ball.

Will be interesting to see how long before we see a bowling change.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, That's gone through but doesn't have the legs to reach the fence. Carse comes over the wicket now with a leg slip in place and delivers a full toss on leg stump. Sai Sudharsan punches it firmly to the left of mid on where the fielder dives over the ball. The baters pick up three runs as that same fielder chases the ball down after getting up.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Carse keeps hammering that length and keeps bowling it around off, Sudharsan blocks it in front of covers this time.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Good length again and around the fourth stump line, Sudharsan prods halfway and defends it just behind point.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Good length in the channel, just a hint of seam movement into the left-hander. Sai shoulders arms.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, A well-directed bumper, around off and slanting in, Sudharsan leans all the way back and sways away from the line of the ball.

Another achivement for Jaiswal.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Just back of a length on off, angling back in, Jaiswal jams it out to the bowler.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! Nice and straight! Overpitched, around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal gets a good stride in and punches it down the ground, to the left of mid off and for a boundary. YJ brings up 1000 runs against England!

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Hard length, angled well down the leg side. Jaiswal leaves it alone and Jamie Smith does well to dive to his right and pouch it with both hands.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Fuller delivery around off, Jaiswal gets forward to drive on the up but hits it straight to mid off.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Good length, slanted onto middle, Sai Sudharsan clips it away in front of mid-wicket and scampers through for a quick single.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Length, on the pads, Jaiswal gets inside the line and tucks it down to long leg for a single.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Miles outside off, left alone.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Full and straight, defended back down the pitch.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, 12TH HALF CENTURY FOR YASHASVI JAISWAL! What a terrific knock under pressure.

With that wicket of Rahul, Woakes now has 36 wickets in Tests at this venue. He has 36 wickets at only one other venue - Lord's. One more and Old Trafford would become the new happy hunting ground for the lord of Lord's.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Landed outside off, solidly defended.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Full and wide outside off, Sai Sudharsan comes forward and keeps his bat inside the line yet again.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, wider outside off, SS keeps his bat inside the line.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Off the mark, is the lad from Chennai. A bit too straight from Woakes, on the pads, Sai clips it through mid-wicket and takes a couple to get his score rolling. 100 IS UP FOR INDIA AS WELL.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Landed just outside off, Sudharsan lunges to defend it to the off side.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Full, outside off, Sai Sudharsan lunges and lets the ball go past.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nearly! Full, outside off, YJ gets a full stride to defend but the ball pitches and whizzes past the outside edge!

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, outside off, Jaiswal looks to tap and run towards point but changes his mind.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full, outside off, swinging away late, left alone for the keeper.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Just around off, solidly defended towards cover.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! The sequence of dots is broken. First run after 15 balls. Just seems too many in this age, right? On a good length, outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal rises with the bounce and dabs it to the left of gully, for a boundary towards deep third. Moves to 49 with his 9th four.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, a touch wide outside off, left alone.

The sun was out for a brief moment.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Short of full, outside off, shouldered arms to. Consecutive maidens.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Landed outside off, left alone this time.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, That seemed like an afterthought. Or an indecision. Wide outside off, on a good length, one felt that Sudharsan was initially thinking to let it go before choosing to defend. Did so with an open bat face and got it off the bottom of the bat towards gully.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Fuller, outside off, left alone again.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length but way outside off, Sai Sudharsan pulls his bat away from the line.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Short and outside off, Yashasvi pushes but misses. First maiden for Carse.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, That came a million miles from outside off, Jaiswal was in no place to play this as he could even defend the ball. Pitched on a good length, outside off, he looked to defend or punch but even before the bat could come down, the ball zipped back in a long way and hit his pads. LBW shouts all around but that was going down leg.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full and straight, well blocked out this time.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Excellent bowling. Just short of full, outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal comes forward, not entirely sure whether to play or leave and pokes half-heartedly at it. Gets beaten.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Back of a length, outside off, blocked down.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Sai Sudharsan walks in next at number 3, replacing KL Rahul.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, ! EDGED AND TAKEN! Would you believe it? Just out of nowhere, with seemingly nothing much happening, England get a wicket! On a length, outside off, KL Rahul looks to punch it down the ground but just like three balls ago, there is a bit of late away movement on the ball. As a result, Rahul is not quite able to control his shot and the ball flies off the outside edge, straight to Zak Crawley at third slip! 

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Landed outside off, defended solidly by the batter towards the off side.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, The sun peeks out and that makes it sound even better for Indian fans. A bit too straight from Woakes, Rahul clips it behind square leg for a couple.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Landed outside off, perhaps a bit short, moving away, there to cut, KL looks to cut but the ball moves away late and beats him.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Full and just outside off, Rahul defends solidly.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, KL Rahul gets across and lets the ball go.

7 out of Rahul's 9 away Test centuries have come in the SENA nations, which is the joint most for any Indian batter since KL Rahul's Test debut in December 2014.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Down the leg side, helped towards deep square leg for a single.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, seaming away, KL Rahul shoulders arms.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full and straight, 140 kph, Yashasvi gets across and tickles it towards long leg for a single.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Around off, pushed to the off side.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! Not learning and will not go unpunished. After escaping on the previous ball, Carse bowls it short again. This time, Jaiswal punches it to the left of the point fielder and finds the boundary. Overtakes Rahul and moves to 44! The stand moves to 90.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Lucky to have got away there, Carse.

Just before the resumption of play post Lunch, Yashasvi Jaiswal was seen having some throwdowns. Virat Kohli and Brian Lara were some of the greats who used to do this, before resumption after every break. Just to get used to the light and conditions.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Full and straight, KL defends.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Around middle and off, Rahul works it towards mid-wicket.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, No run.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, A touch short, outside off, sliced through point but straight to the fielder.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, A touch short, around middle, Rahul works this through square leg for a couple.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Full, outside off, driven towards point.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full and straight, 136 kph, solidly defended by YJ. Seems like Carse will have to rebowl this one as the third umpire has indicated to the onfield umpire that he has overstepped. NO BALL signalled and the replay shows that Carse just about stretched the line.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! The extra ball costs England!

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full and straight, 136 kph, solidly defended by YJ.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Banged in on a good length, outside off, 135 kph, Yashasvi defends.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Fuller, wider outside off, 133 kph, Jaiswal drives square of the wicket but finds point.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, A half volley now, on middle and leg, Rahul flicks it towards deepish square leg for a single, to get the session rolling. 

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Full and straight, KL Rahul pushes it towards mid on.

The players and umpires make their way out to the middle.

Not far from the resumption of play. Along with the crowd, there has been an increase in the clouds in the heavens above, which has just added a bit of murkiness to the surroundings. But they don't see too threatening to start precipitating. Well, if they are biased, they might start to precipitate, especially if England don't pick up wickets soon. Throughout this series, once the Dukes ball has gone past 30 overs, it has gone softer and batting has significantly become a lot easier. That means,

... DAY 1, SESSION 2 ...

Lazy? Not caring enough? These are some of the words used by former English fast bowler Katherine Sciver-Brunt, and also the wife of current skipper, Nat Sciver-Brunt. These have come on the back of a dual home series defeat against India Women, in first, the T20Is and later, the ODIs. As per Kat, it is not the defeat but the manner of the defeat which is hurting England fans. She feels that the players are lacking good attitude and discipline and that is primarily seen through their fielding la

Some news on Karun Nair. He has been left out of this game, but there is some good news for him. He has been granted the NOC from the Vidarbha Cricket Association, to return to his home state, Karnataka, for the 2025-26 domestic season. Having represented Vidarbha for the past two seasons, Nair found a lot of success in both the red and white-ball formats, eventually helping Vidarbha to their third Ranji Trophy earlier this year. 863 runs in 16 innings with four centuries at 53.93 was good eno

Is this now a good toss to lose? Or is it just down to the execution of the two teams? While England can be deemed guilty of not being full enough and India can be credited for not throwing their wickets away, one will do well to remember that there were quite a few balls which did not carry at a good height to the cordon behind. In fact, in the very first over itself, Jaiswal had edged one, only to see it fall well short of Zak Crawley at third slip. This second session could be a very importa

England will certainly be a bit discontent as they started well, bowling the right lengths and we even saw a few edges from the Indian batters. However, the lengths started to become more on the shorter side and Brydon Carse simply couldn't follow up the good work done by the likes of Woakes and Archer. Every now and then, there were deliveries that looked to be troubling the bowlers, but we didn't see enough of those. Ben Stokes will certainly have a chat with his bowlers in the break and wo

India's score reads 78/0 in 26 overs and the scoring rate is exactly 3 runs per over but for a large part of the session, the scoring rate was sluggish and that was a given as there was actual help for the pacers, both in the air and off the deck. Yashasvi Jaiswal managed to curtail his instincts and has now given himself a platform from where he can do serious damage and quickly too. KL Rahul, on the other hand, has carried his confidence from the previous games to Old Trafford and he's been

A session that has belonged to India and Shubman Gill will be over the moon with how his openers have played. Given the contrast between the overhead conditions and the actual pitch, it was a good toss to lose for India and England simply haven't managed a breakthrough, even after bowling some immaculate deliveries.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, On a good length, around off, 138 kph, KL Rahul nudges it through square leg for a single and will start the next session. LUNCH ON DAY 1, INDIA 78/0!

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, A meaningless bouncer, way down the leg side, KLR ducks.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, angling away, KL pushes it towards gully.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Full and straight again, 141 kph, Rahul pushes it to the off side.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Full and straight, 140 kph, KL Rahul defends.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, down the leg side, 138 kph, Yashasvi Jaiswal tucks it through mid-wicket for a single, with the bowler himself running after the ball. England would not want Archer to do too much of running to field the ball. He is much better off steaming in with the ball in hand.

KL has been a silent force for India outside home conditions, scoring 9 out of his 10 Test hundreds away from home, including 70 percent of his career runs.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Another bumper, at the batter and rising up late. Jaiswal awkwardly fends it down into the off side and scampers through for a single.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! Yashasvi Jaiswal is growing in confidence with every passing over now. Banged in short and outside off, Jaiswal hops up on his toes and uppercuts the ball over deep third for a biggie.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Very full and straight, gets the yorker in. Yashasvi Jaiswal is hanging back and manages to jam his bat down in time.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Fuller, just around off, 136 kph, Jaiswal defends solidly.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Short of full and just outside off, 134 kph, Yashasvi Jaiswal stays back to defend.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, angling in, KL Rahul tucks it towards fine leg for a single.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Good length on middle and leg, confidently blocked to mid on.

Rahul now has 4 Test centuries in England – the most by an Indian opener; no one else has more than 2.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! Yashasvi Jaiswal taking evasive action here and somehow, he's found a boundary as well, adding to Archer's frustration.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, BEAUTY! Just full of a good length, on off and this one carries on with the angle but not too much. Yashasvi Jaiswal looks to defend but is beaten past the outside edge.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, KL pushes it in front of cover and with calls of 'YES! YES! EK HAI! EK HAI! AAJA!', calls Jaiswal through for a quick single.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Similar length, 136 kph, this one bounces normally. Rahul pushes it towards point.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, That is a brute. Out of nowhere. On a good length, outside off, KL Rahul looks to defend but the ball pitches and suddenly shoots up, going past the outside edge.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! Smacked away! A fraction too short and outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal hangs back and backs away before cutting it hard and well behind point for a crisp boundary.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Fuller now, angling it in towards the middle stump, Jaiswal jams it back out towards the bowler.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Length ball on off and middle, straightening down the line, Jaiswal covers the line and blocks it off.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Fuller now, around off, driven back to the bowler.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Dead ball. Stokes comes running in, but loses his runup and bails out. Reload.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal comes forward and pushes it into the ground towards gully.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Shorter length again, just pulls the trigger wide and angles it well past the off stump. Rahul leaves it alone.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Dug in a bit short and around off, 140 kph, Rahul keeps it down on the off side.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Good length in the channel, angling back into the batter, Rahul presses back to defend.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, down the leg side, 136 kph, Yashasvi hops and tucks it behind square leg for a single.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full, outside off, 139 kph, hint of away movement, Jaiswal defends.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Well, good signs for England. Jofra Archer is back on to bowl. Seemed pretty ginger after that dive. Starts with a fuller ball, around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal drives but cannot beat mid on.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, Back of a length and around off, Rahul hangs back and blocks it in front of point with ease. A maiden over from Stokes.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, Full of a good length and outside off, this one holds its line. KL Rahul leans across and has a poke at it but gets beaten on the outside edge.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, No run.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, No run.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, No run.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, No run.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, A good short ball, around off, Jaiswal defends.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, 1 run.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, 1 run.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, 3 runs.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, A short ball now, Rahul looks to pull but misses and is hit on the body.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, No run.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full, on middle, pushed towards mid on.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, A touch short, outside off, angling in, Yashasvi Jaiswal pushes but misses.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, angling in, pushed towards mid on for a single.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! SLASHED HARD!

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Around off, solidly defended.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, First real attacking shot attempted by Jaiswal this morning. He has been very patient, having consumed 44 balls before this one, determined to not throw his wicket away. But now, with him being set at the crease, perhaps thinks that he can open his arms. A touch short, outside off, not all that wide, Jaiswal throws his bat at it and slashes hard but misses.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal defends.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, Huge LBW shout, but turned down. To the naked eye, this seems to be going down the leg side and that's what keeper Jamie Smith seems to be telling Stokes as the skipper discusses about the review. Coming to the ball, it was a lovely inswinger, delivered from wide of the crease. Started from outside off but tailed back in a long way as Rahul missed his flick and was hit on the pads.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, Around off, solidly defended.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, Very full, just outside off, KL Rahul leans to play but then takes his bat away.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, moving away, pushed towards point.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, No run.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, around off, froma round the wicket, coming back in, Yashasvi Jaiswal nudges it through square leg for a single.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, ! In the air, but in the gap. Short and wide outside off, KL Rahul rises with the bounce and cuts it uppishly behind point. It is not a million miles away from Ollie Pope who tries to take the catch to his left but the ball whizzes past. The ball slows down near the boundary but eventually trickles to the ropes. Rahul moves to 32.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, On a good length, around off, KL stays back to flick but the ball straightens and squares him up. Takes the leading edge and goes towards point.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Back of a length, outside off, Rahul stays back to block.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, No run.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, No run.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, No run.

Excellent stat by Ricky Ponting on air.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full and outside off, Jaiswal leans on and drives it straight to covers.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Lovely delivery again, and Woakes will feel he's been unlucky so far. Full and around off, scrambled seam again and this one moves away late. Jaiswal is beaten once again.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Beaten!

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Fullish length around middle and leg, Rahul is late on the flick and just gets an inside edge as the ball rolls down to fine leg for a single. Had he missed, that was pretty adjacent.

DRINKS BREAK. Excellent opening hour for the tourists. Under overcast conditions, with the ball moving around off the deck and in the air, they have done well to survive some close calls and trust their defence. Of course, they have been aided by England not utlizing the conditions to full effect, keeping the length a bit too short and the line a bit too wide. Nothing outrageous from either opener so far, with both showing patience and resilience to see the new ball off. Don't know whether it w

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Hard length, slanting into middle and leg, jammed away wide of mid on for another quick single. 9 off the over!

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Around the wicket to the left-hander, bowling it back of a length and over off and middle. Jaiswal blocks it with gentle hands into the off side and the batters scamper across for a single. Good running!

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Short ball at the bodyline, KLR stays inside the line and helps it down to fine leg for a single.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, ! That is smashed away! A bit short but well outside off, KL Rahul rocks back and cuts it with an open bat face, firmly behind point for a boundary.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Goes full and angles it in at the toes, Rahul takes the front leg out of the way and hits it straight to mid on.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, 2 runs.

One can see the crowd building up nicely. This being the middle day of the week, hard to see the stands filled to full capacity by Tea. Maybe, come the weekend, we could see jam-packed stands from the morning itself.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Hard length, shaping back in towards middle and off, Jaiswal stays upright and blocks it off. A maiden over for Woakes.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Very full and angled in from outside off, YJ shoulders arms.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Good length on off and middle, darting back in, Jaiswal manages to keep it out.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Length ball around off, shooting up off the deck. Jaiswal leaves it alone.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, A huge appeal for LBW but the umpire turns it down. Chris Woakes thinks there might have been an inside edge and has a chat with Ben Stokes, who doesn't review it.

This is now KL Rahul's best bilateral Test series.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Hard length, shaping away from wide outside off, left alone.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, On the shorter side and over off stump, KL Rahul gets up on his toes and blocks it back onto the deck.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Just back of a length, nipping back into the batter. Rahul gets hurried as he looks to flick and gets an inside edge onto the groin area.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Back of a length and outside off, cutting back in sharply. Rahul quickly gets his bat behind his body and leaves it alone.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, 2 runs.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Starts with a shortish ball and extracts some additional bounce off the deck. Rahul is taken aback but manages to keep it down towards gully.

Some Indian legends can be seen at the venue. Former Indian stumper Farokh Engineer and star batter Dilip Vengsarkar are sitting beside each other.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Excellent comeback delivery from Woakes! Goes fuller and gets the ball to swing away late from the off stump line, Jaiswal has a poke at it but gets beaten past the outside edge.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! Top shot!

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full and wide outside off, Jaiswal reaches out to drive and does so well but can't beat the point fielder, Ollie Pope, who dives to his left and makes a goo save.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Fuller in length, around middle, Jaiswal forces it with the angle towards mid on.

For the first time, KL Rahul has scored more than 1 century in a bilateral test series.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, seaming in from outside off, left alone.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, A short ball now, down the leg side, Rahul gets outside the line and lets it pass. Good take by the keeper, Jamie Smith, leaping to his left.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, 138 kph, KL Rahul stays back, and plays it off the deck, away from his body, guiding it to the right of Ollie Pope at third slip. Pope dives but cannot stop the ball. Has to get up and fetch the ball himself. Two runs taken by then.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Landed outside off, a touch too full, 141 kph, KLR keeps his bat inside the line and behind his front pad.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, No run.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Full and a bit too straight, shaping in, Rahul looks to flick but misses and is hit on the pads.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Full, outside off, KL Rahul pushes it towards cover and sets off for a single but is sent back.

Change of bats then, for Yashasvi Jaiswal. Karun Nair is the one who brings about 3-4 bats for Jaiswal. The batters take the opportunity to sip a few gulps of water as well. All in readiness now as Jaiswal is happy with his selection.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Wide outside off, swinging in a long way, shouldered arms to.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, THE HANDLE GETS BROKEN!

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Very full, outside off, swinging back in, but too wide to be played at.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tempting line, just a touch wider outside off and keeping the length full, Yashasvi Jaiswal comes forward but shoulders arms.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full, just outside off, left alone.

So Rahul becomes the 5th Indian batter to notch up 1000 runs or more in Tests in England. 4 others before him include Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar and Virat Kohli. Tendulkar tops the list with 1575 runs.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, No run.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Terrific bowling, excellent batting. Landed just short of full, outside off, KLR initially comes forward to defend but just at the last moment, leaves the ball alone on length. The ball rears back sharply and he does really well to take his bat and gloves out of the way.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Just around off, solidly defended. That one came back in a long way.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Full, outside off, 137 kph, shaping away, KL stays back and shoulders arms.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, Rahul stays on top of the bounce and punches it towards cover.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Full, outside off, swinging in nicely, 141 kph, KL Rahul defends it solidly.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full, outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal lunges to defend but the ball pitches and straightens, just missing the outside edge.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, 1 run.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, ! Streaky! Luck has been with India this morning. They could easily have lost both the openers but have survived. Full and wide outside off, KL Rahul reaches out to drive but the ball swings away and takes the outside edge. Flies between gully and third slip, and races to the deep third fence. 1000 RUNS FOR KL RAHUL IN TESTS IN ENGLAND. The only country away from home where he has reached this landmark.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Landed just outside off, KL stays behind it and pushes it towards cover-point.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, That is a real beauty. Full, outside off, 130 kph, coming in with the angle, Rahul comes forward to defend. But just before pitching, the ball swings away, beating the outside edge.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, 129 kph, KL Rahul allows the ball to arrive and then punches it off his back foot, finding the gap through the covers. Two runs taken.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Archer switches to around the wicket and bowls it on a good length, but it is still wide outside off to be played at.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Wider outside off, an easier leave this time.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Good shot, great fielding.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, This one nips back in from outside off, bounces extra, KL Rahul comes forward to defend but gets pinged hard on the gloves. The ball drops down beside him on the leg side.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Full and wide outside off, left alone.

In his last 5 bowling innings at this venue, Chris Woakes has picked up 16 wickets which also includes a five-wicket haul against Australia.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, A beauty from Woakes! Pitches the ball right up on off stump, this one leaves the batter nicely off the deck. Yashasvi Jaiswal looks to play down the line but there's enough movement for the ball to beat the outside edge.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Good-length delivery, in the channel outside off, Jaiswal leaves it alone. Some late swing on offer for Woakes as that one shaped away after passing the batter.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Very full and straight, angling in from around middle, Jaiswal looks to flick it away but gets a bit of a leading edge and the ball rolls back to the bowler.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full, but slipped down the leg side, Jaiswal misses his flick.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, A good length ball, just around off, defended solidly.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Four!

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, No run.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Back of a length and around off, Rahul hops back and dabs it down well behind point.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, No run.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Hard length at the batter, KL Rahul looks to stay back and flick it away but misses and gets hit on the thigh pad.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, A proper bumper now, over middle and at 139 kph. Rahul ducks under it.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Full, just outside off, KL comes forward to defend but then watches the ball go away from him.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, No run.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, No run.

Only once has Woakes gone wicketless in an innings in Tests in Manchester.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Fuller delivery, angled into the pads, Rahul misses the flick and the ball hits the pads, rolling behind square leg. Rahul picks up a leg bye.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, ! Begging to be hit! Banged in short and outside off, comes slower off the deck. KL Rahul has all the time to swivel and pull it away in front of square on the leg side for a boundary.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Full of a good length and on off, this one sticks in the deck as well. Rahul watchfully blocks it off.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Full and outside off, KL defends it solidly towards cover.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Way down the leg side, Rahul looks to flick but misses. The keeper, Jamie Smith, dives to his left and makes a half stop, with the ball pinging him hard on the glove. There is a leg gully in place as well, so that might have been a deliberate plan to bowl down the leg side.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, 131 kph, KL Rahul stays back and punches it towards mid-wicket.

KL Rahul has by far been the best new-ball batter across both teams, getting dismissed just ONCE inside the first 15 overs in the previous 3 Tests.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, And again! Full and quick in the channel, angling away, Jaiswal leaves it alone.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Fuller in length, around off and darting across the left-hander at 140 kph. Jaiswal shoulders arms at it.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Good, positive running! Back of a length and at the batter, Rahul presses back and nudges it down in front of short mid-wicket and scampers through for a single.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Back of a length, outside off, KL shoulders arms.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Very full, outside off, swinging away, Rahul looks to drive but gets a bit of a bottom edge on that side.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, No run.

Chris Woakes has been a consistent bowler for England in Tests. Since 2023, he has taken the most wickets among English pace bowlers (58). Jofra Archer will share the new ball with Woakes.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, EDGED AND ! Yashasvi Jaiswal and India are off the mark in streaky fashion. Nice and full in the channel around off, Jaiswal jars at it and gets another outside edge that goes down and through the fielder at second slip, rolling away into the fence behind. India are 4/0 after the first over.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Edged but doesn't carry! Woakes pitches it a bit further up around off and forces the batter to play at it. Yashasvi Jaiswal pushes at it and gets a genuine outside edge that lands short of Zak Crawley at third slip. No real pace in the pitch, it seems.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Wide outside off again, Jaiswal shoulders arms.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

The anthems have been sung and we are ready for the action to commence in this fourth Test. The roster says that it is scheduled for 5 days but only time will tell whether we have another 5-day Test.  The conditions stay overcast but there is a tinge of blue visible, with the sun trying its best to see whether it can gain a free entry for this match. The players are out in the middle, with Chris Woakes straightaway taking the new ball in his hand. For India, they have the regular set of opener

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, That is a good start. On a good length, from around the wicket, getting it to seam back in, Yashasvi Jaiswal plays inside the line and is beaten, as the ball keeps coming in.

It is time now for the national anthems of the two teams. India, being the visiting nation, will have their anthem sung first, followed by that of England.

Sadly, as one might call it, the third Test came into the spotlight for a majority of wrong reasons. The match needs to be remembered for the way it ended, with both teams fighting tooth and nail right into the last session. However, what happened in the press conference came to light and kept on doing the rounds. Eventually, it emerged that England were aiming some personal attacks on the Indian players which did not go down too well. However, that is the how the sport goes and this match more

The skipper of England, BEN STOKES, agrees that his decision is based on the overhead conditions, calling them decent for bowling. On the mood in the English camp post the victory at Lord's, Stokes says that everyone had a good break in between the Lord's Test and this one, so it gave a good opportunity for everyone to head back home, put their feet up, take a break and come back recharged. On his own fitness post the third Test, Ben says that he gave everything in that Test but left everything

The captain of India, SHUBMAN GILL, says that he was confused with the forecast around but feels that the surface looks good. Believes that it is a good toss to lose. On India's mentality post the third Test, Gill says that his team has been outstanding. Adds that it has just been the small crunch moments that they have lost, else they have won more sessions than England and that is a great positive for his side. On the 9-day break, Shubman agrees that this break was definitely needed. Details t

India (Playing XI) - Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan (In for Karun Nair), Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur (In for Nitish Kumar Reddy), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Anshul Kamboj (On debut, in for Akash Deep).

England (Playing XI) - Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Liam Dawson (In for Shoaib Bashir), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.

TOSS - Ben Stokes and Shubman Gill are all smiles at the toss, and the former is all set to flip the coin. Gill calls 'Heads,' and it lands as 'Tails,' which means Gill has lost all four coin tosses in this series. Ben Stokes opts to BOWL first.

The top order laid the platform, seeing off the new ball and just bedding in, not worrying about Bazball's response. There was a bit of a wobble in the middle order but the lower middle order rallied around nicely to take the visitors past 350. Barring that collapse in the second session on Day 1, every stand in the top 7 faced at least 35 balls, meaning that they hung in there. There were three critical stands - 94 between Rahul and Jaiswal, unbeaten 72 between Pant and Sudharsan and then, a fi

Post Lunch, the Indians just came looking out for some quick runs and that is always a double-edged sword. They got the runs, but kept losing wickets as well. But overall, they will be very happy with the results of the 4-and-some sessions. There are two ways to look at the scorecard. 1. As many as 7 batters made between 25 and 65. So, starts not converted. 2. The pitch is so difficult to bat that you are never in, despite playing 100-odd deliveries.

Well, that escalated pretty quickly. 4/37 in 9.1 overs since Lunch and England have finally managed to bowl India out. But not before the tourists crossed the 350-run mark, which looks a terrific score on this pitch with inconsistent bounce. Add to that, there is someone in the bowling camp whose first name starts with J and the surname ends with H. He will just enjoy bowling on this deck.

Jofra Archer to Jasprit Bumrah, ! CAUGHT DOWN THE LEG SIDE! Magnificent review by the combination of Jamie Smith and Joe Root! A bizarre way to end the innings. A length ball, down the leg side, Jasprit Bumrah looked to swing it over fine leg but missed. The keeper, Jamie Smith, appealed for the catch but the umpire said no. The captain was not paying attention, so the former captain, Joe Root, yelled out to Stokes, who is probably somewhere near long on and signalled him to si

Ben Stokes to Mohammed Siraj, Tries a repeat, does Siraj but Stokes follows him. Cramps him for room as MS looks to cut and beats him.

Ben Stokes to Mohammed Siraj, ! MURDERED! Length and straight, Mohammed Siraj backs away and swings it straight back over the bowler, into the boundary behind!

Ben Stokes to Mohammed Siraj, No run.

Reload. Something goes in Stokes' eye and he bails out.

Ben Stokes to Mohammed Siraj, A length ball now, outside off, Mohammed slashes hard but misses.

Ben Stokes to Mohammed Siraj, No run.

Ben Stokes to Mohammed Siraj, No run.

Jofra Archer to Jasprit Bumrah, EDGED, ! Useful runs for India. Full, outside off, Bumrah looks to drive but the ball nips back in, takes the inside edge and races past the stumps to the fine leg fence.

Jofra Archer to Jasprit Bumrah, No run.

Jofra Archer to Mohammed Siraj, 1 run.

Mohammed Siraj is the last batter in, replacing Rishabh Pant.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, ! BOWLED!

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, High in the air... and? Six? Four? Wicket? One? Two? Three?

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, Another slower ball. This is T20 mode now. Batter looking for boundaries, bowler looking for deception. Full, outside off, Rishabh Pant comes forward and looks to heave but misses.

Ben Stokes to Jasprit Bumrah, Goes for the yorker again, this time on middle, but Bumrah is up for it. Takes it on the full and flicks it behind square leg. Almost, by habit, he starts to run for the single but then realizes who is at the other end and goes back. Flashes a broad smile to Pant.

Ben Stokes to Jasprit Bumrah, Beauty. Full, outside off, Jasprit Bumrah looks to defend but the ball pitches and moves away extravagantly to beat the outside edge.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, This one zips back in from a length, Rishabh falls over but manages to flick it through mid-wicket and this time, takes the single.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Full and straight, Pant flicks it uppishly towards deep mid-wicket. No single taken.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Around middle and leg, pushed towards mid on.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, ! 50 FOR PANT! How has he done that? Full and wide outside off, Rishabh Pant reaches out and just puts bat on ball. But it takes the middle of the bat and races across the turf through cover! 18th half century in Tests for Pant.

Right. Pant on 49. What's the bet that he could do a Will Jacks from the 2024 IPL edition?

Jofra Archer to Jasprit Bumrah, Nice yorker, from over the wicket, Jasprit Bumrah plays it out comfortably.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, This is quicker and worked through mid-wicket for a single. Moves to 49.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, Six!

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, There comes a spearing yorker, right on that injured right foot, but Rishabh does really well to get bat on that, take it on the full and work it towards deep square leg. Does not take the single.

Entertaining period so far. We have had 5 overs since Lunch, seen just 16 runs scored, and 2 wickets falling, but it seems as if the Powerplay of a T20 is going on. Anything could happen anytime.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, Pace off, on a length, outside off, Pant backs away early to the leg side, aiming to go off side and hence, cannot connect.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, No run.

Ben Stokes to Jasprit Bumrah, No run.

Jasprit Bumrah walks in next, at number 10, replacing debutant Anshul Kamboj.

Ben Stokes to Anshul Kamboj, ! CAUGHT! There it is, Ben Stokes with a fifer! He has bowled his heart out here again after bowling a fantastic spell at Lord's! 

Ben Stokes to Anshul Kamboj, Delivers it on the fullish length and outside off, moving away from the batter, Anshul Kamboj watches it carefully before leaving out. 

Anshul Kamboj walks out next at number 9, on debut, replacing Washington Sundar. He is no mug with the bat either.

Ben Stokes to Anshul Kamboj, No run.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, ! CAUGHT! Knock, knock! Who is it? Me? Ben Stokes. Oh dear. Wicket time? I guess so.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, A length ball, Rishabh Pant whips it through mid-wicket. The ball races away and Ollie Pope charges onto the ball but the batters are not in a position to go for the second due to obvious reasons.

190/6. That's what New Zealand have managed in the final league game of the tri-series in Zimbabwe, against Zimbabwe.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Another full delivery, around off, Sundar blocks it off the front foot.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, 1 run.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, No run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, 1 run.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, Leg bye.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, ! A good shot! Much fuller again but outside off this time, Washington Sundar comes forward and looks to drive it but gets it off the outer half of the bat. The ball goes through the gap between third slip and gully to deep third for a boundary. He has played that intentionally, as it seems so.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Leg bye.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Oh, another hit! A fuller ball, around middle, coming in with an angle, Rishabh Pant looks to flick it but gets beaten on the inside edge and gets hit on the front pad, above his foot. Could be sliding down leg, with that angle.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, 1 run.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, 1 run.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, BYES! More freebies from England. And this time it is not Brydon Carse.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Maiden! On the hard length and just outside off, it threatens to come in but gets straightened out from there. Sundar leaves it.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, On the fuller side, and around middle, Sundar keeps it out towards mid on.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Another loud appeal for LBW but is turned down again by the umpire! Stokes talks to his keeper, bowler, and takes a review here! Archer has bowled it on a good length and around off, gets it to nip back in from there, Washington Sundar comes forward to defend it but gets beaten on the outside edge, as it seems so. The ball has clipped the front pad and goes behind the wickets, where Jamie catches it low to his left with one hand. 

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Will it be Archer again?

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, Goes fuller and around off, Sundar comes forward and taps it with soft hands. The ball goes in the gap to the left of backward point. A single taken, where Pant somehow manages to reach the other end.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, A bouncer now, angling into the body of the batter, Washington Sundar sits down and sways away from it.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, Lands it on a good length and outside off, seaming away, Sundar leaves it.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, No run.

Welcome back. Not a single cover is present now and we are all ready for action to resume. Just a reminder, because play was halted 10 minutes early before Lunch, this will be a slightly extended session, roughly of 130 minutes. Tea will be taken at the scheduled time, 8.10 pm IST (1440 GMT), weather and light permitting. Ben Stokes to kick things off to Washington Sundar post Lunch. 19-3-55-3 so far.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, A touch wider outside off, left alone.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, No run.

... DAY 2, SESSION 2 ...

Good news from the ground. The Hover Cover is present, but it is off the pitch, just as a precaution. The Super Soppers are doing their rounds. The weather remains overcast, but it definitely seems a lot brighter than it was before Lunch. Looking elsewhere, the third T20I between Bangladesh and Pakistan has kicked off in Mirpur and for once, the visitors have got off to a good start. Their openers have raised a 50-run stand and the Powerplay is in its last over. Bangladesh already sealed the ser

The weather, though, might play a role in the upcoming session as well. Rain cut short the first session, and the sky remains overcast. But if play resumes smoothly, it will be an important phase for both teams. India will look to stretch their total closer to 400, while England need a breakthrough early in the second session to get into India’s tail and finish things quickly. The match is finely poised, and the next hour or two will tell us which way the momentum swings. 

From England’s perspective, the morning started on a high with Archer getting rid of Jadeja, but nothing happened in the middle phase of this first session. There were Five Wides bowled on two separate occasions, showing their inaccuracy. Brydon Carse, in particular, was guilty of being erratic with his line, even overstepping twice. Stokes, though, once again turned out to be the most impactful bowler, adding Thakur to his wickets tally and now sitting on three. Archer and Woakes also bowled

Washington Sundar, who came in under pressure, looked composed. He was steady on the crease, happy to rotate the strike and spend time in the middle. And then came the moment when Rishabh Pant walked in to bat despite carrying a fractured foot. The fans cheered his courage. He is there, battling injury and has even taken some singles.

India resumed at 264/4 with Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur at the crease. But they lost Jadeja early as Jofra Archer struck in just the second over with the second new ball. That blow pushed India a little on the back foot, but Thakur and Washington Sundar joined hands and started to rebuild calmly. Their 48-run stand brought some much-needed stability to the innings. Thakur, who looked solid and played with intent, eventually fell to a brilliant catch of Duckett just before the rain came

India have managed to hold their ground well in the first session of Day 2, despite the drizzle that forced an early Lunch. They added 57 more runs to their overnight score, reaching 321/6. England did make inroads with two key wickets, but India’s batters remained composed and kept the scoreboard ticking. It wasn’t a dominant session for either side, more of a balanced one, but India look well on course for a total close to 375. England will know they need a few quick wickets to restric

No, we don't continue. Boos around the ground, not for Shubman Gill, but because the players are going off the field. The umpires have called in for the Hover Cover and with just 10 minutes left for Lunch, the umpires have called for LUNCH ON DAY 2. That means, we will start the second session 10 minutes early, around 6 pm IST (1230 GMT). INDIA 321/6!

Game stopped due to : Rain Stoppage

It has started to drizzle now. And it is coming a bit harder. The umpires have a chat and are signalling something towards the groundstaff. It has gone pretty gloomy and the floodlights have been switched on as well. For now, we continue. 

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Landed outside off, coming in, Pant takes his bat away.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, A length ball, outside off, coming in, Pant has a swing but misses. The third umpire has a chat with the onfield umpire and informs that Carse has overstepped again. 4 no balls in this innings, all by him. The replay shows that the foot just about landed on the line, nothing behind it.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Down the leg side, helped through square leg for one.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Back of a length, around off, jagging back in, Rishabh Pant is looking to punch it through the covers but is cramped for room with the ball coming in. Manages to get the ball through the covers and hobbles across for the single. Brings a smile to everyone's lips. Though, we bet, nothing can beat Glenn Maxwell's hobble against Afghanistan at the Wankhede in the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, On a length, around leg stump, 130 kph, Washington taps it through mid-wicket for a single.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, On a length again, wider outside off, moving away, left alone again by Sundar. 

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, On a length, outside off, going away with the angle but then swerving in late, left alone by Washington Sundar.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, Down the leg side, Washington helps it towards fine leg and the pair jogs through for a single. Stokes decides to sledge Sundar and gives him a mouthful but the resilient Sundar is concentrating on digging the pebbles off the pitch.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, Full, outside off, pretty wide, Sundar leaves it alone again. This one though, comes in late with the angle, but after it passes the stumps. No problems for Sundar but problems for - guess who? Yep, Jamie Smith! When is Lunch?

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, Full and wide outside off, left alone.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, On a length, around off, coming in, Washington Sundar pushes this towards short mid-wicket.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Short and wide outside off, Pant punches this through the covers for a single.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, That has spat up. Pant has a sore foot and now, he will have a sore digit as well.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Identical to the previous delivery, only this time, it is a legal one. Left alone.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, No ball!

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Did that slip out of the hand? From around the wicket, Carse bowls it miles outside off and WS watches it go past.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Very full, outside off, Washington pushes it towards cover.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Wider outside off, seaming away, Sundar lets it pass. 

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Back of a length now, around leg stump, easier one to fend down.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Ahh.. now then! Smell the leather, mate! England are opting for the short ball tactic now. Having bowled primarily length and full balls so far. Washington Sundar is on the front foot and is completely taken by surprise, as the ball pitches and rears at him. He takes his eyes off the ball and it hits his glove and drops down to the leg side. Sundar himself loses balance and falls down.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Oh, wow! BEATEN! Hard length and around the fourth stump line, the ball gets straightened out after pitching, Rishabh Pant tries to defend it but the ball goes past the outside edge and the keeper collects it to his left.

All eyes towards India's dressing room. Who is walking out? It is RISHABH PANT! He is literally struggling to walk down the stairs and not just the Indian supporters, but the whole of Old Trafford rises as one to applaud the courage of this man! The physio or doctor has done well to ensure the stitches in Pant's right foot are good enough to enable him to at least walk towards the pitch. Doesn't look like he is very mobile, but crucially, are England going to straightaway target the fuller or

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Nagging length and outside off, Pant goes to drive it but gets beaten on the outside edge. 

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, ! c Ben Duckett b Ben Stokes.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Nagging length and outside off this time, Thakur comes forward but leaves it.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Swings back in, on a good length but way too down the leg side, Thakur looks to tickle it but misses. The keeper goes across to his left and he has to put in a dive to stop it. 

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Angling in, a bit fuller and around off, Shardul Thakur defends it off the back foot. 

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Switches to around the wicket, bowls it on a good length and outside off, Washington Sundar covers his off stump and shoulders his arms.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Pitches it up and outside off, Sundar comes forward and drives it. Doesn't connect well and gets it off the outer half of the bat. The ball goes straight to backward point. 

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Much fuller, almost a yorker, around off, WS digs it out back to the bowler off the inner half of the bat.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, On a good length and outside off, going away with that angle, Sundar leaves it.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Not that full, on a length and around off, Sundar comes forward to defend it but gets beaten on the inside edge and wears it on the thighpad.

Brydon Carse to Shardul Thakur, Full and around off, Thakur taps it with soft hands towards point and takes a quick single.

Amidst the gloom, there is a silver lining for England. Ben Stokes has now bowled 122 overs in this series, which is his most in a bilateral series ever.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Just short!

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Nagging length and outside off, left alone.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Down the leg side, Thakur leaves it. The keeper moves across to his left to grab it behind the stumps.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Had it been a direct hit, Sundar was gone! Much fuller and around middle, Thakur nudges it towards short mid on and takes a step forward and calls for a run. But as Sundar responds, the fielder Carse was too quick to get to the ball and collect it. Thakur sends Sundar back. Carse makes a throw to the non-striker's end but misses as Sundar was short there, despite trying to drag his bat down. 

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Hard length and outside off, moving away a touch, Thakur leaves it this time.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Short of a length and outside off, the ball rises furthermore, Thakur presses back and looks to cut it off late but gets beaten on the outside edge.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, A bit shorter and around middle, Sundar hops up and blocks it into the leg side.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Hard length and around middle, seams back in, Sundar gets caught in his crease as he goes to flick it but misses. Gets hit on the thigh pad.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, 2 runs.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, On a good length and around the fourth stump line, Sundar leaves it.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Another! Similar delivery, a bit shorter and around off, Sundar gets inside the line and leaves it.

Meanwhile, in Harare, in the last league game of the Zimbabwe T20I triseries, between Zimbabwe and New Zealand, the hosts have managed to get the first wicket of the Kiwis, after New Zealand elected to bat.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, No run.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Hits the deck hard and bowls it on a hard length, a bit outside off as well. Shardul taps it in front of cover point.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Nagging length and around off, Thakur blocks it off the back foot.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, 1 run.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, Oh, so close to get chopped on! An unexpected yorker from Stokes, around off, Sundar gets surprised but brings his bat down and tries to jam it out. The ball takes the underedge of the bat and clips his thigh pad and rolls away. It goes beside the off stump, where Sundar tried to flick it away but the ball has passed already. Could be close! 

More bad news for England. They have received another warning for slow over rate from the umpires. They got one on Day 1 too. As far as India are concerned, they get another boost. The BCCI have officially confirmed that Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of fielding and keeping in this Test but WILL BE AVAILABLE TO BAT, should the need arise! He is already in the dressing room and who knows, should a wicket fall, might just stride out next!

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, Switches to over the wicket, and bowls it on a good length and around off, Sundar gets opened up but manages to block it.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, Nagging length and around middle, comes in with an angle, Sundar hops up and defends it into the pitch.

Brydon Carse to Shardul Thakur, Moving away, on the fuller side, outside off, Thakur watches it carefully and lets it go.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Angling into the body of the batter, back of a length, Sundar gets inside the line and tucks it through square leg for one.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Hard length, over off, Sundar rises with the bounce and drops it down towards backward point.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, On a good length and around off, angling in, WS keeps it out towards mid on.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, No run.

DRINKS BREAK. Another frustrating hour for the home side. They have bowled much better than how they did on the first morning, but still, luck eludes them. Jofra Archer himself could have had 4-5 wickets but that is how the game goes. India have been patient and mixed caution with aggression. Not thrown their wickets away, but capitalized on the bad balls. 42 runs have come in 13 overs this morning but crucially, 40 of those runs have come from this current pair of Sundar and Thakur. Also, En

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Some aggression or intent from Sundar now!

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, On a length, outside off, Thakur looks to defend but the ball whizzes past the outside edge.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, No run.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Four!

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, That is a beauty! Stokes goes up in an appeal but the umpire stays mum! There isn't much excitement amongst the English slip cordon and eventually, with 3 seconds left on the clock, Stokes takes the review. Seems to be more of his conviction than of anyone else. It was on a good length, outside off, Shardul Thakur looked to defend but the ball kept on rising and went past him, to the keeper. There was a noise as the ball went past and Stokes went up in an app

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, A short ball now, outside off, extra bounce, Shardul Thakur rises with the bounce and taps it towards third slip. The fielder dives and makes a half stop to his right, but gully mops it up.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, No run.

23 runs in the last 5 overs.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Landed on a good length, outside off, pushed towards cover.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Down the leg side, Sundar misses his clip.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, ! Off the edge but into the ground straightaway. On a length, around off, Washington Sundar looks to defend but the ball moves away off the seam and squares him up.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Slight hesitation but all's well in the end. Around off, WS taps it to the off side and starts to run. Stops for a bit as Shardul takes a while to respond but eventually, both cross.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, No run.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Outside off, moving away, dabbed behind gully for a couple. This stand is now worth 31 (53).

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Full and just outside off, Washington Sundar presses forward to defend but the ball nips away off the seam, beating the outside edge.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, FIVE WIDES! Second instance in 3 overs.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Wider outside off, a bit further up, left alone again.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, On a good length, wide outside off, from around the wicket, Washington Sundar keeps his bat behind the pad in defense.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, On a good length, down the leg side, WS helps it towards fine leg for a run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Full, outside off, swinging away, Washington pushes at it as a last-minute thought and misses as the ball swings away.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, On a length, outside off, coming in, Sundar defends it towards short mid-wicket.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Very full, around off, 138 kph, Washington Sundar defends.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, Good running again. Short of full, outside off, Shardul Thakur looks to defend and gets a thick inside edge onto his pads. The ball dribbles into the leg side and Sundar immediately calls him through for a single.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, No run.

Plenty of movement this morning.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Full, outside off, Sundar presses forward to defend. The ball moves away and takes the outside edge. The ball goes along the ground and splits the gap between third slip and gully, rolling towards deep third. The batters take a couple. So no run for the first 18 balls and now, 3 in the last 3.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, A touch wide outside off, angling away, Washington Sundar keeps his bat inside the line.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Had to hurry this time.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Slightly slower, fuller in length, outside off, Shardul Thakur commits himself on the front foot to defend but the ball pitches and then seams away massively, to beat the outside edge.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Full and outside off, pushed to the off side.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, OFF THE MARK ON THE 19TH BALL!

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, A short ball, pushed towards point.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, No run.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, FIVE WIDES! C'mon Jofra, Jamie is a human at the end of the day! How much are you going to punish him for one mistake? Aren't India punishing him enough?

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, Full and just outside off, ST defends watchfully.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, Down the leg side this time, Shardul misses his clip and poor Smith has to go to the other side, to his left, to stop that! Keeping drills going on?

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, My word, what was that? Lucky not to be called a wide.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, Full, outside off, swinging in, 147 kph, Shardul Thakur gets across, comes forward and defends it towards cover.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Switches to around the wicket, and bowls it on a good length from wide of the crease to create an inward angle. The ball keeps coming in and whizzes past the off stump, as Sundar leaves it. The keeper moves to his right to grab it behind the stumps.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Angling in, around leg, on the dragged length, Sundar keeps it out towards mid-wicket off the front foot.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, On the fuller side, and outside off, going away, Washington Sundar comes forward and shoulders his arms.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, No run.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, On a length, around leg stump, Washington Sundar looks to defend but the ball pitches and then moves away, taking the outside edge. Lands short of gully.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Full, on middle and off, flicked to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Flashback, 'Gabba, 2021.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Edged but doesn't carry! A bit fuller and around off, enticing the batter for a drive, Sundar comes forward to defend it but gets an outside edge that dribbles to second slip, who collects it there.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, On a good length, coming in with an angle, around middle, Shardul Thakur gets cramped and loses his bottom half of the bat but manages to drop it down beside the pitch on the leg side. Takes a quick single.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, Down the leg side, Shardul initially thinks of playing at one, but at the last moment, lets it be.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, And this one shoots off. On a length, down the leg side, Thakur looks to clip it fine but misses. The ball keeps on moving after pitching and poor keeper Jamie Smith dives full stretch to his left, making a half stop with his left glove.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, Full, outside off, Shardul Thakur looks to defend but the ball pitches and then swings away, beating the outside edge. Barely carries to the keeper.

So Jadeja's dismissal was Archer's 6th wicket for the series. 

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, BEATEN! Nagging length and around the fourth stump line, holds its line, Washington Sundar strides forward to defend it but gets beaten on the outside edge. 

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, The ball stays a bit low this time, on the fuller side again and outside off, Sundar shoulders his arms again. The keeper collects it on the bounce.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Lands it fuller again and outside off, angling away from the batter, Sundar leaves it.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Better delivery. Fuller in length and closer to the off stump, Sundar trusts the seam of the ball to move away and shoulders arms again.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, On a length, outside off, moving away, 130 kph, easy leave for Washington Sundar.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, On a good length, outside off, coming in, Shardul Thakur watches it carefully and works it behind square leg for a single.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Switches to around the wicket, and bowls it full and around off, tries to nip back in, but it is too fuller. Sundar jams it out towards gully.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, A bit of dragged back length and similar line, just outside off, angling away, Sundar shoulders his arms this time.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Pretty wide outside off, Washington Sundar lets it pass.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, This one nips back in sharply, Thakur looks to play straight but works it off the inner half of the bat, to the right of mid on, for a single. Moves to 30 (51).

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, No run.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Chris bowls it fuller, trying to find some swing from there, and keeps the line around the fourth stump. The ball goes and moves away from the batter. Sundar is happy to let it go.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Angling in, a bit fuller now and around middle, Thakur looks to defend it but gets an inside edge that rolls away to wide deep fine leg for one.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, ! Thrashed!

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Landed outside off, on a length, Thakur defends again.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Full, around off, watchfully defended.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Four!

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Nagging length and outside off, angling away, Washington Sundar leaves it. End of a successful over from Archer.

Washington Sundar walks in next, at number 8, replacing Ravindra Jadeja.

Jofra Archer to Ravindra Jadeja, ! CAUGHT! Jofra Archer strikes with the new ball and the overnight set batter Ravindra Jadeja is gone!

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, Edged and again just short! Archer swings it back, on the fuller length and around off, Shardul Thakur comes forward to drive it, but generates an outside edge that goes to the right of second slip, where it falls short of Harry Brook, who goes across low to his right to take it. The ball goes through his hands and rolls away behind the slip cordon. A single taken.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, Beaten now. On a length, outside off, Shardul Thakur looks to drive it on the up but leaves a massive gap between bat and pad.

Jofra Archer to Ravindra Jadeja, Tries for the same ball, does Archer, but overcooks it. Ends up dishing a half volley around leg stump and Jadeja clips it through mid-wicket for a single, for the first run of Day 2.

Jofra Archer to Ravindra Jadeja, EDGED, SHORT! Almost a replica of how Archer dismissed Jaiswal in the first innings of the third Test.

Jofra Archer or Brydon Carse from the other end? The former. 16-2-44-0 so far.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Moving away, on the fuller side and well outside off, Shardul leaves it. The keeper dives across to his right to grab it behind the stumps.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, No run.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, On the hard length and around the fourth stump line, Shardul Thakur remains on the back foot and defends it.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, A loose ball. Short and wide outside off, Shardul Thakur latches onto the cut, but finds point.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, No run.

The players slowly make their way out to the middle. Stuart Broad chooses his words very carefully on air, saying that 'The conditions are wonderful, for England', that comma was for the pause. If any, it does not look like a morning in the first place. It is overcast and just slightly better than what it was in the final session of Day 1. The SECOND NEW BALL has been taken and Chris Woakes will make the first use of it. Shardul Thakur to face. Here we go!

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, On a length, just outside off, watchfully defended.

PITCH REPORT - Deep Dasgupta is pitchside. He begins by mentioning that the forecast suggests overcast conditions for the morning, which could make things interesting for the bowlers. He confirms that England are expected to take the second new ball right away, looking to make use of the conditions. Talking about the surface, Deep says the pitch has played pretty much as expected, fair for batting but with a bit of spice for the bowlers. Points out that there is some patchiness, which has made

KL Rahul is down for a quick chat. He starts by saying he’s really enjoying his cricket at the moment. With age and experience, he feels there’s more clarity, especially as an opener, where things can swing either way. He reflects on the value of acceptance, staying calm under pressure, and how factors beyond the field have also helped him maintain balance. Adds that he is just trying to score runs and play the way that suits him best. It’s all about contributing to the team in any way

It's a weekday, so the crowd may take time to fill in, but expect the atmosphere to grow louder with every session. There are afternoon showers predicted in the weather forecast, which could interrupt the game for a while, but things look good for now. So, what’s at stake on Day 2? Momentum. Pressure. Position. This first hour is going to be gold-dust. So, stay tuned for more updates!

As for England, Day 1 may feel like a missed opportunity. They started well but didn’t get much reward with the new ball, beating the bat often but not finding the edges. Archer and Stokes were the standout performers while Dawson, on his comeback, plugged away nicely with his accurate left-arm spin. But overall, the hosts allowed India to wrestle momentum back. They'll hope for a fresh start with the second new ball, for which they will be keen to take first in the morning. The seamers have a

India, meanwhile, will be quietly pleased with their performance with the bat. They came in under testing skies and put on 264 for 4 by stumps on Day 1, or effectively, 264/5. The concern now, of course, is Pant, who underwent scans that revealed a fracture, and he is set to miss the remainder of the series, according to the sources. Will he return to bat? That only depends on what the medical team conveys to Indian management, as he is surely not going to keep wickets. Another important questi

So, how did Day 1 unfold? It was a tale of three sessions and changing fortunes. India won the morning with grit and control, thanks to a stoic opening stand between Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul. The post-lunch period belonged to England, who hit back hard and took three key wickets. The third session, though, swung back towards India as Sai Sudharsan and Rishabh Pant counter-attacked. But just when things looked settled, Pant went down injured while playing a reverse sweep, and had to reti

Hello and welcome to all of you! It's Day 2 of the fourth Test between England and India ​​​​​​from Manchester, and we’re all set for what promises to be another absorbing day of red-ball cricket. Both teams have fought hard in this series, and this Test could well decide the momentum heading into the final stretch. England, having chosen to bowl, would feel they missed a trick on Day 1, while India, despite not having any centurions, have held their ground strongly. 

... DAY 2, SESSION 1 ...

264/4 or 264/5? As we type, Rishabh Pant is being taken for scans on his right foot, which had swelled to a significant degree. With Washington Sundar still to bat, highly unlikely that India will rush Pant to come out to bat. He might still come out and play with an injured foot, but only if the need arises. Without a doubt, England will take the second new ball the first thing in the morning. The first hour will be very crucial, as with the pitch already showing signs of inconsistent boun

A disappointing day for England. They might call themselves unlucky with the new ball, as the ball beat the bat numerous times and the edges, when generated, did not carry to the fielders. On another day, Yashasvi Jaiswal would have been dismissed in the first over of the day. But as it panned out, luck favoured the tourists and then, the hosts ran out of patience, bowling too short and wide and literally wasting the new ball. The bowlers tried hard but only Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes looke

A day of 3 sessions and India take the honours 2-1. After being put into bat under testing conditions, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal batted with supreme grit to see off the entire morning session, unseparated with the partnership score of 78. Then came England's counter-punching act, as they reduced the visitors from 94/0 to 140/3, breaking through that top order. They could have had another, but Jamie Smith put down a fairly simple chance of Sai Sudharsan on 20, with the team score at that

Well, Stokes has had enough. It seems like he wanted to take the second new ball but the umpires feel that the light has become very poor and they take the players off the field. In a normal scenario, this would have been play delayed due to bad light but because we are past the official Stumps time, the players won't come back out. STUMPS ON DAY 1, INDIA 264/4!

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Full, around off, flicked straight to short mid-wicket.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, ! HAMMERED! Stokes brought mid on up to tempt Jadeja to go over the top and the latter accepts the challenge.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Full and down the leg side, perhaps a touch slower, Shardul clips it through square leg for a run.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Quicker ball, on middle and leg, Thakur goes back and punches it towards cover.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, No run.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Landed outside off, Ravindra Jadeja punches it to the right of cover and pinches a quick single.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, Around the wicket to the right hander as well, around leg stump, ST defends.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Landed outside off, 90 kph, Ravindra Jadeja cuts it behind square on the off side for another single.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, Short and wide outside off, 79 kph, Shardul mistimes his cut to sweeper cover for one.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, Full, outside off, from over the wicket, Thakur defends.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, A bit of a round-arm action, from around the wicket, fired in on middle and leg, Ravindra Jadeja goes back and works it through square leg for a run.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, Short, outside off, Shardul Thakur rocks back and punches it through the covers for a single.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Full and outside off, watchfully defended.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Very full, outside off, Jadeja employs the sweep now, but cannot get it past Jofra Archer at square leg.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Full, a touch wider outside off, Ravindra Jadeja lunges to keep it out.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Full and around off, Ravindra keeps it out. A maiden for Dawson. Wonder how would Jadeja have felt to see his mirror image bowling to him. Over ends in 2 minutes!

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, No run.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, Quicker one, slipped down the leg side, left alone by Shardul Thakur.

All eyes on Ben Stokes. Does he take the second new ball?

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, No run.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, Flatter one around leg, this time, Thakur opts to pad it away past leg slip.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, No run.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, Oh, just short!

The fourth umpire does come out now, with the light meter. Joe Root has a word with one of the umpires. The reading is noted now. Just a reminder - no light will be offered. It is entirely in the hands of the two umpires. Play goes on for now. Will be interesting to see what will be the decision if England take the second new ball. Joe Root is back on. 3-0-11-0 so far.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, ! Too full and around off, no mid off in place and Shardul Thakur drives it on the full and gets it well to the right of Stokes at silly mid off and finds the fence.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, Flatter delivery outside off, goes straight on, Thakur hangs deep and blocks it off.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Full and straight at the stumps now, Jadeja pushes it down to mid on.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Quicker one again and outside off, left alone by RJ.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, No run.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Floated up around off, on a nagging length and Jadeja blocks it off.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Flighted up, full and around off, stroked away through square covers for a single. 250 is now up for India as well.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Flatter one on middle, this is bowled into the deck and keeps a shade low. Thakur backs away and plays it back to the bowler.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Back of a length and around off, Shardul dabs it down in front of covers and races through for the single.

Has the ploy worked? The umpires are now having a chat regarding the light. Stokes is not happy. For now, play goes on.

Ben Stokes to Ravindra Jadeja, A slight hesitation but comfortable enough for the batters. Hard length at the stumps, tapped across towards mid-wicket for a single by Jadeja.

Ahem. The first sign of anything of this sort in the whole day. It has gotten gloomier but it was like this at the start of the session as well. However, no Indian batter had complained till now. Probably, with the day already into extended time, Jadeja is trying to show some gamesmanship. Maybe, just create that doubt in the minds of the umpires regarding the light and either convince them that is dark enough to go off the field, or, delay the taking of the second new ball. Smart tactic. Nothin

Ben Stokes to Ravindra Jadeja, No run.

Ben Stokes to Ravindra Jadeja, Good length, around the fifth stump line and sliding straight on. Jadeja leaves it alone.

Ben Stokes to Ravindra Jadeja, Wide! Banged in well short and wide outside off, flying over the batter's head and a wide is signalled.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Dug in a bit and over leg stump, Thakur gets inside the line and flicks it off the hips down to fine leg for a single.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Good-length delivery, in the channel, angling in. Thakur taps it towards covers and looks for the single, which is on but Jadeja sends him back.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Well, another single off the last ball and Shardul Thakur is hogging all the strike, it seems. Flighted ball around leg, clipped away in front of mid-wicket for an easy single.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Bowled flatter and on middle, Thakur stays back and punches it towards mid off.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Nice and full on middle and off, Thakur shows the full face of the bat and plays it to mid off.

Wonder the thought process of sending Shardul Thakur ahead of Washington Sundar. One thought could be that with the second new ball still a few overs away, at that time of the dismissal, quick runs could be scored through Thakur's attacking instinct. Additionally, if he survives till the second new ball, he could attack that cherry as well.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, No run.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Very full and on leg, Thakur pushes it down to mid on.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Tossed up, on a length and around off, tapped away towards cover.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Full and straight, a half-punch from Shardul Thakur towards mid on and he sets off for the single. A tired-looking Jofra Archer is slow to react as the batters make it through with ease and Stokes isn't quite pleased with that effort.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Hard length again, angled in from around off but this one holds its line. Thakur blocks it down to covers.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Hard length outside off, zipping through. Thakur has half a push at it but gets beaten past the outside edge.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Full again, around off, looking to swing it away but Thakur leans on and squeezes it away through covers and picks up a couple of runs.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Fuller one, wide outside the off stump, seaming away. Thakur leaves it alone.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, ! That is gorgeous! Back of a length and outside off, fractionally on the shorter side and Shardul Thakur pounces on it. Thakur rocks back and punches it square behind point for a boundary.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Full again, on off, eased away to the left of covers for a quick single by Shardul.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Quite full and on leg, Thakur flicks it straight to mid-wicket.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Flighted up, full and on off, a hint of turn as well. Shardul Thakur watchfully blocks it off.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Flatter delivery on middle, worked away to mid-wicket.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Shortish length around off, this one holds in the deck. Thakur tentatively plays it away from the body and to mid off.

Liam Dawson is brought back into the attack now.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, 1 run.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Back of a length and over off, Shardul Thakur hops back to defend. End of a icket-maiden over from Stokesy!

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, !CAUGHT! Would you believe it? Midas has done it again!

Shardul Thakur walks out to bat next.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Back of a length and around off, Sudharsan presses back to defend.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, On a fuller length and angling back in towards the stumps, Sudharsan blocks it with a straight bat.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Hard length around off, punched away gently towards cover.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Back of a length and around off, Sudharsan allows the ball to come towards him before nudging it down beside the deck on the off side.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Bowled into the pitch and this one holds in the deck. Jadeja goes on the back foot and turns it to mid-wicket.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Fired in full and around off, Jadeja jams it out to the right of the bowler.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, No run.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, ! Picked-up and dispatched!

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Flighted, on off, blocked off by Jadeja.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Floated up around off, Jadeja gets well forward and blocks it off.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Pitched up in the channel outside off, zipping through, Sudharsan plays inside the line of this one.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, ! Lovely shot! Back of a length and outside off, not that much width on offer. Sai Sudharsan hops up on his toes and punches it down just behind point and picks up a boundary.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Full again, on the pads, Sudharsan leans on and clips it away sweetly through mid-wicket for a couple of runs.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Full of a good length, on off, Sudharsan dead-bats it back to the bowler.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Goes full and angles it down leg, a deliberate tactic used by Stokes to Sudharsan, who misses the flick.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Back of a length and on a tight line around off, Sudharsan looks to tap it away behind point but almost gets chopped on as the ball takes the bottom edge and rolls past the off stump towards the keeper.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Oh, that wasn't far away! Attempted arm-ball, bowled around off, Jadeja puts a stride in and decides to leave and the ball holds its line, just going past the off stump.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Tossed up, full and outside off, Jadeja comes forward and pats it down to mid off.

Joe Root to Sai Sudharsan, Full and straight, flicked away past square leg for a single.

Joe Root to Sai Sudharsan, Nicely flighted, on off, Sudharsan bunts it out to the right of cover and looks for the single but Jadeja sends him back.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Flatter one, angled into middle and leg, tucked away from inside the crease through mid-wicket for one.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, No run.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Pitched up around off, angling in, Sudharsan solidly blocks it off.

Ben Stokes to Ravindra Jadeja, Hard length again, over off, Jadeja tucks it to the left of mid-wicket and picks up a quick single.

Ben Stokes to Ravindra Jadeja, Just back of a length and angled into the batter, Jadeja fails to work it away.

Ben Stokes to Ravindra Jadeja, ! Edged but well controlled by Jadeja! Hard length in the channel, nibbling away off the deck. Ravindra Jadeja is taken aback by the extra bounce and jars at it but gets an outside edge that goes down and through the vacant third slip region for a boundary.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, A bit fuller and slanted into the pads, Sudharsan clips it away in front of square leg for a single.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Stokes begins the new spell from around the stumps. Bowls it on a good length around off, Sudharsan stays back ad keeps it down towards gully.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Nicely flighted, in and around off, Jadeja lunges and blocks it into the off side.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, No run.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, No run.

Joe Root to Sai Sudharsan, At the stumps, shovelled away through mid-wicket for a single.

Joe Root to Sai Sudharsan, ! Smashed through the off side and that will be a MAIDEN TEST FIFTY for Sai Sudharsan! Lobbed up wide of the off stump, Sudharsan lines it up and leans on to cream the cover drive through the gap and for a boundary. A very fine knock on his return from Sai.

Joe Root to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Chris Woakes to Ravindra Jadeja, Full again, dished out wide outside off, left alone by Jadeja once again.

Chris Woakes to Ravindra Jadeja, Fuller in length, angled well across off, Ravindra Jadeja lets it through to the keeper.

DRINKS BREAK! Right then, as Rishabh Pant calls for the physio, the umpires also decide that it is time for drinks. We have an hour and fifteen minutes worth of play in this final session and India have written off the blemishes of the second session and are looking in a strong position. Sai Sudharsan is just a couple of runs away from what could be his maiden Test fifty and Rishabh Pant is playing in the most Rishabh Pant way possible. He might have injured himself here with an outlandish s

Ouch! Rishabh Pant is looking in some discomfort and is unable to continue. A blow to the batting team as Rishabh Pant is retired hurt.

Chris Woakes to Rishabh Pant, Huge appeal for LBW, not given. Did that pitch outside leg? Did Pant hit it? England take the review. Oh dear. This might turn out to be a bad review. The impact itself seems to be outside off. Forget that, UltraEdge detects a spike when the ball is near the bat. Review lost. Coming to the ball, Pant looked to play the reverse sweep a bit early and seeing that, Woakes fires a pretty full ball. Pant looks to play the shot but misses and is hit on the pads. Woa

Chris Woakes to Rishabh Pant, No run.

Chris Woakes to Rishabh Pant, No run.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Brilliant fielding by Zak Crawley.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Four!

Excellent effort from Zak Crawley! But has he done enough? This is referred upstairs. Yes, confirms the third umpire.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, From over the wicket now, landed outside off, Rishabh hangs back to defend.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Jumps down the track but is not quite to the pitch of the ball. Is forced to defend.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Full, outside off, Pant leans and drives it through the covers for a couple. Moves to 31 (41).

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, From around the wicket, on middle and leg, fuller in length, Rishabh Pant lunges to defend.

Jonathan Trott on air has spotted some reverse swing. If it indeed is the case, expect Stokes to jump in soon.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, From around the wicket, on a fuller length, watchfully defended.

Chris Woakes to Rishabh Pant, On a length, down the leg side, Rishabh Pant walks across and tucks it through mid-wicket for a run.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Down the leg side, SS tucks it to the left of mid on for a single.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Full and straight, 132 kph, Sai drives it straight back to the bowler who mimes a throw back.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Full and slightly wider outside off, moving further away, a confident leave this time from Sudharsan.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, just around middle, angling away, Sai Sudharsan lunges to defend but the ball seams past the outside edge.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Shortish and down the leg side again, Sudharsan pushes it through mid-wicket for another single.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, 200 UP FOR INDIA! Excellent recovery after losing their way in the second session. Full and down the leg side, Rishabh tucks it through mid-wicket for one more. This stand is now worth 60.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Down the leg side, Rishabh tucks it through square leg for a single.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Around off, Pant leans to block again.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Full, around middle and leg, Rishabh Pant lunges to defend.

Well, England get one wish at least. They finally bowl their first maiden post Tea! Just the 8 maidens through the day but this final session has been pretty much ordinary from them.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Full, around off, watchfully defended.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, outside off, SS shoulders arms.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Thrown up, wide outside off, Sai goes hard on the drive and slices it towards backward point.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Full and straight, well blocked out.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, On middle and off, Sudharsan walks into the shot and defends.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Full, outside off, Sai Sudharsan pushes at it but the ball moves away and beats the outside edge.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Full and around off, pushed towards cover.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Quicker once again, 86 kph, SS goes back and works it through mid-wicket for a run.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Flighted delivery now, 84 kph, Sai comes forward and defends.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Full and just outside off, Sai Sudharsan lunges to defend.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Landed outside off, 86 kph, fractionally short, Rishabh Pant stays back and punches it through the covers for a single.

Double change? Yes. This could be either because of the ball doing nothing, or because of the fading light. Or simply because Stokes wants to take a gamble. Brings back Liam Dawson. 7-0-21-1 so far.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, around off, 131 kph, Sai drops it down near his feet.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Full, outside off, hint of away movement, Sudharsan keeps his bat behind his pad as he plays inside the line.

Chris Woakes to Rishabh Pant, Full, from over the wicket, down the leg side, Rishabh Pant works it towards deep mid-wicket for a run.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Down the leg side, Sai clips it wide of mid on, to his left, for a single.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Back of a length, outside off, Sudharsan goes for the cut but gets cramped for room and there is a bottom edge eked towards point.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, 2 runs.

So that's 1005 runs in England in Test cricket right now, for Pant.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Landed outside off, Pant tries to guide it through the packed slip cordon but only gets a bottom edge.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, No ball!

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Down the leg side, nudged through square leg for a single.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, ! FETCH THAT! 1000 TEST RUNS IN ENGLAND FOR PANT and he brings up in typical Pant style!

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Down the leg side, Rishabh Pant nudges it towards short mid-wicket.

Things happening after Tea. Not for England. ​​​For ​India. 33 runs have come in 8 overs since the break and curiously, we have seen just 3 boundaries off the bat.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, No run.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, outside off, Sai goes back and dabs it towards the slip cordon.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, A wild short ball, down the leg side, Sudharsan has nothing to do with it and gets out of harm's way, Poor keeper Jamie Smith has to dive full stretch to his right to stop that.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, Full, outside off, Pant pushes it towards cover for one.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Slightly overdoing the leg side tactic, are England. Sai Sudharsan is pretty much aware of that and is trying his level best to avoid falling over to the off side. Flicks this through mid-wicket for a run.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, 1 run.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, Did that hit the bat? Yes, it did.

As expected, the stands have now become jam packed. The first session was fairly empty, the second started to see people filling in and now, this looks like a blockbuster. The only shame is that, with the light fading so quickly, we hope that the crowd is not kept devoid of action.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, outside off, Sai pushes it towards point.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Outside off, pushed towards point now.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, LEG BYES! England are trying to get Sudharsan caught down the leg side. Full and straight, from around the wicket, Sudharsan misses his clip but the ball hits his front pad and races to the fine leg fence. Carse starts to appeal but then bails out, keeping the height and angle in mind.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, outside off, Sai Sudharsan rises with the bounce and pushes it towards point.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Fuller this time, around middle, Pant just brings his bat down, arguably to defend and the ball runs off the face of the bat through mid-wicket. A single taken.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, No run.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, A bouncer, down the leg side, let through. 10 from the over, Jofra Archer's bowling figures read 15-2-41-0.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, And now, Pant tries the reverse paddle but misses it completely. The ball hits him on his arm and drops down on the off side. A leg bye taken.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, ! FEROCIOUS! Now, this is getting real bad.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, WIDE. Just too short, goes way above the batter. Pant gets out of harm's way while the keeper, Jamie Smith, has to leap full stretch to stop that. Can just get one glove on it, but manages to stop it.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, On middle and leg, nudged through mid-wicket for another single. That's 4 runs off the first three balls of this over, without any risk.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, A bit too straight, Sai Sudharsan clips it behind square leg for a couple.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, Down the leg side, helped through mid-wicket for a single.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Outside off, bunted towards point.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, around middle and off, steep bounce, Sudharsan rises with the ball and fends it down.

Time for a chat again. And this one is more animated than the last one. These two have been taking the quick singles but the calling has been way off so far. Pant is just sorting it out.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Miscommunication again! Full, on middle, Sai Sudharsan looks to work it to the leg side but the ball holds up on the pitch a little and comes in late. The leading edge is induced and the ball goes down the ground. 

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Full and straight, 135 kph, Rishabh pushes it towards point and calls for a quick single, making it with ease.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, A touch short now, 132 kph, outside off, barely comes off the surface. Pant looks to cut but mistimes it towards cover.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Full and straight, angling in, Rishabh Pant defends it awakwardly.

Ricky Ponting on air calls out loud for some variation.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, On a fuller length, a touch wider outside off, SS goes back and shoulders arms.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, A bouncer, on middle and leg, Sai ducks under it.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Full, around off, pushed to the off side.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, ! CREAMED! Taking it on, is Sai and growing in confidence as well.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Around middle and leg, Sudharsan pushes it towards mid on.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, On a fuller length, outside off, 135 kph, angling in, from around the wicket, Sai Sudharsan comes forward to defend but the ball pitches and then curls away late to beat the outside edge. For the first time in the day, Archer's looking frustrated.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Hard length outside off, Pant eases it down to the point region.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Fractioanlly short over middle, Sai Sudharsan hangs back and swipes the pull in front of square leg for a single in the deep.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Just a little hesitation from the non-striker but the batters make it through.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Much better from Pant! A touch fuller and outside off, Rishabh Pant leans on this time and strokes it through the cover region for a couple of runs as Ben Stokes chases the ball down.

Not good signs for England. Not good signs for any cricket fan. It has suddenly got gloomier and darker. On that boundary on 53.2, Brydon Carse simply did not pick the ball. 

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Beaten!

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Back of a length, angled in towards the hips, Sai gets inside the line and drops it in front of short leg.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Hard length over the stumps, pushed down towards mid on.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Even shorter now and around off again, trying to angle it in. Sudharsan sits down and ducks well under the ball.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, ! Takes it on, does Sai and gets the boundary. Banged in short and at the batter, Sai Sudharsan goes for the hook and gets it over backward square leg. Brydon Carse who is at fine leg, picks it up really late but in all likeliness, he wouldn't have reached it even if he had picked it up sooner. A boundary to Sudharsan.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Another short ball, around off and zipping through. Sudharsan sways away from the line of the delivery. 

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, A quick short ball over middle, Rishabh Pant gets inside the line and angles the pull down to fine leg, lifting one leg up and collects a single. That was awkwardly done but nothing new for Pant.

Stokes or Archer? The latter. 12-2-23-0 so far for Jofra Archer. An interesting contest awaits between Archer and Pant and the winner of this contest might very well decide this opening day.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Shorter in length and outside off, Sudharsan hangs back and gets up on his toes before dabbing the ball down wide of the slip cordon.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Another bumper, 134 kph and around off, Sudharsan comfortably leans back and sways away from the line of the bal.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Back of a length and in the channel, this one stays a bit low. Sudharsan is taken aback and jams the bat down in time to dab the ball towards short third. 

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Dug in short and around off, Sai Sudharsan keeps his hands down and leans back to let the ball pass through to the keeper.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Back of a length and around off, Pant taps the ball down in front of covers and picks up a quick single. The 150 is up for India as well.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Oh, aggression from Pant right after the break!

Welcome back. 38 overs left in the day. Potentially, we see around 30 of those being completed tonight. An Indian fightback will see the visitors top the day after a fine start. On the other hand, if England continue to build on their momentum, one could see another cracker of a session. The players are back on the field and it will be Brydon Carse to kick things off post Tea. 11-1-44-0 so far. Rishabh Pant to face. Let's go again!

... DAY 1, FINAL SESSION ...

While everything has seemingly gone in England's favour in that session, there was one small blemish. Jamie Smith put down a fairly simple chance of Sai Sudharsan on 20, off Ben Stokes' bowling and had that been taken, the hosts would have been firmly on top. Maybe, that could be the luck that Sudharsan needs, to kickstart what could be a big Test career. Does anyone remember Marvan Atapattu? Strangely, in that session, the Dukes ball swung more than in the first session. The hosts will hope t

Right then, 94/0 has become 149/3 at Tea and the final session on Day 1 could yet see plenty more ebbs and flows. India have two left-handers at the crease and there are two more left-handers to follow. Jofra Archer has a brilliant record against the southpaws and if he gets one wicket early in the session, he can go on a bit of a streak. Plenty of action to look forward to, so stick around as the post-Tea session is up next.

As for England, Jofra Archer didn't get into any sort of a rhythm in that second session but Liam Dawson did manage to take his County form and replicate it in a big way by getting rid of Jaiswal. Ben Stokes yet again took up the mantle to bowl at a crucial juncture and got the better of his opposite number, Shubman Gill, a wicket that might have propelled the hosts into a position of real promise. Gill, on the other hand, will be highly disappointed with the way he got out and India will ha

The first 15-20 mins after Lunch were more or less a replica of the first session but then came the breakthrough for England as Chris Woakes picked up his 36th wicket at Old Trafford in Tests by dismissing KL Rahul. Yashasvi Jaiswal continued to persevere and brought up a gritty half century as Sai Sudharsan looked determined to get his eye in and left plenty of deliveries, going against his natural instincts, which did work but has also resulted in a very sluggish knock, one that is still b

End of an intriguing afternoon session on Day 1 here at Old Trafford and England have staged a very fine comeback after seemingly being under the pump in that first session. As many as 3 wickets fell in the session as India could muster up just 71 runs in 26 overs, setting up a crucial session post the Tea break.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Safely negotiated! Short of a length and directed towards the rib cage. Sai Sudharsan stays back and manages to dab it down behind the short leg fielder. THAT WILL BE TEA ON DAY 1!

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, A bumper now, over middle and attacking the batter but ai does well to duck under it.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Nagging length on off, 139 kph and straightens a bit. Sudharsan stays back to block but gets an outside edge that goes down towards gully.

Time for a chat.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Slightly fuller and darted in towards middle, Rishabh Pant jabs it across to square leg. The batters look for the single but there is a bit of miscommunication before the batters eventually scrape through for a single.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Full and angled well down the leg side, Pant fails to flick it away. Stokes is a bit frustrated with that delivery.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Banged in short and over middle, Sudharsan pulls it away down to long leg for a single.

That super quick over from Dawson means that Ben Stokes can have one more go before Tea.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, On a dragged length around the top of off, Pant lazily presses back and pushes it towards cover.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, No run.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, On the shorter side again, around middle, Sai Sudharsan hangs back and wristily flicks it away in front of deep mid-wicket. The batters look for two but will have to settle with just a single.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Bowled into the pitch, on off, and Pant just shovels it across through mid-wicket for a single.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Shorter one, 90 kph and angled in from outside off. Pant hangs back and taps it into the off side.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Fighting fire with fire!

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, No run.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Four!

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, outside off, Sai Sudharsan defends it to the leg side.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, A bouncer, around off, easily ducked under.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, 1 run.

Rishabh Pant walks in next, at number 5, replacing his skipper, Shubman Gill.

Ben Stokes to Shubman Gill, ! LBW! Midas does it again! Massive misjudgement from the Indian captain as the English captain dismisses him, on just the third ball of their battle, much to the cheer of the crowd.

Close, close, close! And given by Rod Tucker! Took his own time and then raised his finger. Gill has challenged the decision.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Landed around off, 86 kph, defended to the leg side.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Over the wicket to the left hander, with a slip and leg slip in place, full and outside off, Sai Sudharsan clips it towards short mid-wicket.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, The arm ball, 91 kph, short of full, SG goes back and works it through mid-wicket for a single.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, Full and just around off, 88 kph, Shubman keeps it out.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, Similar ball, Gill defends again.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, No run.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, around middle and off, Sai defends it to the leg side. Eventful over.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, ! My word, almost a repeat of Sudharsan's dismissal in the first Test, by the same bowler! My my my, with Tea around the corner! A harmless delivery, full and down the leg side, Sai Sudharsan looks to flick but only manages an inside edge. The ball flies behind and the keeper, Jamie Smith gets to the ball to his right as well, but the ball probably wobbles a touch and he fumbles, eventually putting the ball down! How costly will this prove for the home

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, WIDE. A bouncer attempted from Stokes, a rare change from the plan in this session, but it is banged in his half and goes way above the batter.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Another bouncer, this one does not bounce as much as the previous one, Sudharsan ducks.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, outside off, from around the wicket, 139 kph, Sai Sudharsan defends.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, ! JUST OVER! Gill has shown his intentions to take the left-arm spinner on and he is not going to back away one bit. Flighted, around middle and off, the skipper dances down the track to go down the ground but is not quite to the pitch of the ball. Mistimes it over mid on, where Ben Stokes leaps to his left but the ball just eludes his reach and races to the long on fence. Gill smiles but his heart would have been in his mouth for a moment.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, Similar ball, around off, 89 kph, Shubman drives it towards cover.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, Silly point comes in for this ball. Gill lunges to block.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, No run.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, A touch short, outside off, 90 kph, Sudharsan goes back and whips it through mid-wicket for a single.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Landed outside off, Sai Sudharsan stays back to defend.

Ben Stokes to Shubman Gill, Full and wide outside off, Gill shoulders arms.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, A bit too straight now, Sai tucks it straight to square leg.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Fuller this time, around off, Sudharsan pushes it towards mid off.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Ben Stokes to Shubman Gill, Ahhh.. fire is met with ice!

Talking more about Jaiswal, especially about his dismissal, perhaps there was a bit of drift on that delivery.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Full again, around middle, hit away straight to mid on.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Tossed up, quite full and outside off, Sai Sudharsan looks to replicate the shot from a couple of balls earlier and flicks the wrists to drive but doesn't get it past Ben Stokes at mid off.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Nagging length, bowled on off and darting back in, Sudharsan goes onto the back foot and clips it into the leg side.

Interesting. Yashasvi Jaiswal has become just the first Indian opener in 50 years to register a 50-plus score at Old Trafford! 

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Four!

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, 1 run.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, No run.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Just full of a good length and around the fourth stump line, Sudharsan neither gets forward nor does he rock back and pushes at it. Gets an outside edge down towards the slip cordon.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Back of a length and angled in at the ribs, Sudharsan gets up on his toes and taps it across in front of mid-wicket.

Jofra Archer to Shubman Gill, On a good length around middle, attacking the pads, Gill nudges it away through square leg and picks up a single.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Lovely batting. Full, just around off, Sudharsan shows the perfect face of the bat and just blocks it down the pitch. It is past the bowler and there is no mid off, so by the time cover can get across to cut the ball off, a single is taken.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Similar ball, on a slightly wider line, pushed towards gully again.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, outside off, from around the wicket, Sai Sudharsan rides the bounce and dabs it to gully.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, Very uncharacteristic of Shubman Gill, a wild hack to the leg side! Darted in full and on leg stump, Gill sits down and looks to slog it behind square leg but gets an inside edge past leg slip. The ball rolls down towards fine leg where it is cut off and Gill picks up a couple of runs.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, Around middle, this one is angled into the batter, Gill defends it down the line with ease.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, Tossed up, around off and middle, Gill lunges and makes another block.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, Landed just around off, Gill is watchful in defense.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, No run.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, No run.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Hard length around off, brings the line closer to the off stump, Sudharsan covers the line and blocks it off.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Good length outside off, seaming away, Sudharsan leaves it alone.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Sai is very eager to pinch the quick single here but he isn't getting his wish.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, From around the wicket, on a good length, slightly wider outside off, Sai Sudharsan lets it pass.

Jofra Archer to Shubman Gill, Great effort by Midas. Overpitched, outside off, Shubman Gill gets a good stride and drives it to the left of mid off. Ben Stokes throws himself to his left and makes a half stop, keeping the batters to a single.

Jofra Archer to Shubman Gill, A full toss, outside off, probably surprised even Gill, as he just patted it towards cover.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Fired in at the stumps, at 97 kph and Sai simply blocks it off yet again. Just a single and a big wicket off that over for Dawson.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, 1 run.

Skipper Shubman Gill walks in next, at number 4, replacing Yashasvi Jaiswal. Massive boos around the ground as Gill strides out.

Liam Dawson to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! EDGED AND TAKEN! A left-arm spinner dismisses a left-arm batter and after 8 years, Liam Dawson takes a wicket in a Test match!

Gill's complaint taken seriously? Jokes apart, it does seem that something has been discussed over the sledging episode in the third Test. Despite India batting so well and so patiently, there has been absolutely no instance of sledging. Good sportsmanship.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, A bumper to end the over and a maiden for Jofra Archer. Dug in short at 133 kph and right over middle, Sudharsan moves his head away from the line of the ball by leaning back yet again.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Good length on the pads, turned away to mid-wicket for another dot ball.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, A bumper now, over off stump and angling in towards the batter, Sudharsan leans back to sway away from the line of the ball.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Relatively full and straight, 139 kph, Sudharsan leans on and defends it off.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Hard length again and around off, tapped straight down to point and again, Sudharsan wants a single but Jaiswal isn't interested.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, No run there! Hard length over off, cutting back in. Sai stays back and dabs it into the off side and walks down the pitch for a single but Jaiswal sends him back quickly. Ben Stokes was quick to attack the ball, sharing in front covers.

DRINKS BREAK. Are there two Ravindra Jadejas playing in this game? How quick was that last over from Dawson? After yet another slap from the ICC for poor over rate in the previous Test, Dawson might just help England improve in that department at least. Though ideally, it would be better if he brings his domestic experience into play and helps them in the wickets' department. Having said that, the bowling from the hosts has been improved post Lunch and that has resulted in Rahul's wicket. Contra

Liam Dawson to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nagging length on off and middle, Jaiswal camps on the back foot and keeps it out.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.

Liam Dawson to Yashasvi Jaiswal, 1 run.

Liam Dawson to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Oh, an outside edge! Gives this one a bit more flight and bowls it full and around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal looks to block but gets an outside edge that goes down and wide of the first slip. The ball rolls towards deep third as the batters pick up a couple of runs.

Liam Dawson to Yashasvi Jaiswal, A bit fuller and around off, 91 kph, Jaiswal leans on and squeezes it towards short third.

Double bowling change? Perhaps it is time for Stokesy? Interesting. It is a double bowling change, but it is not the skipper. The ball is thrown to Liam Dawson instead.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Excellent running!

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Good-length delivery, angled in towards middle and just holds its line, Sudharsan blocks it off the outer half of the blade and into the off side.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Full of a good length, attacking off stump at 138 kph, Sudharsan solidly defends it off.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, ! Too straight and put away! Fuller in length, on middle and leg, Sai Sudharsan plays a stylish flick, through square leg and the ball has enough legs on it to reach the fence this time.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Starts from around the wicket and angles a length ball down the leg side. Sudharsan misses the flick as the ball goes through to the keeper.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, A snorter from Carse as he switches back to around the stumps. This is bowled quick and short over the stumps, just nibbling away and YJ has to lean back and sway away from the line of the ball.

Will be interesting to see how long before we see a bowling change.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, That's gone through but doesn't have the legs to reach the fence. Carse comes over the wicket now with a leg slip in place and delivers a full toss on leg stump. Sai Sudharsan punches it firmly to the left of mid on where the fielder dives over the ball. The baters pick up three runs as that same fielder chases the ball down after getting up.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Carse keeps hammering that length and keeps bowling it around off, Sudharsan blocks it in front of covers this time.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Good length again and around the fourth stump line, Sudharsan prods halfway and defends it just behind point.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Good length in the channel, just a hint of seam movement into the left-hander. Sai shoulders arms.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, A well-directed bumper, around off and slanting in, Sudharsan leans all the way back and sways away from the line of the ball.

Another achivement for Jaiswal.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Just back of a length on off, angling back in, Jaiswal jams it out to the bowler.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! Nice and straight! Overpitched, around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal gets a good stride in and punches it down the ground, to the left of mid off and for a boundary. YJ brings up 1000 runs against England!

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Hard length, angled well down the leg side. Jaiswal leaves it alone and Jamie Smith does well to dive to his right and pouch it with both hands.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Fuller delivery around off, Jaiswal gets forward to drive on the up but hits it straight to mid off.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Good length, slanted onto middle, Sai Sudharsan clips it away in front of mid-wicket and scampers through for a quick single.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Length, on the pads, Jaiswal gets inside the line and tucks it down to long leg for a single.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Miles outside off, left alone.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Full and straight, defended back down the pitch.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, 12TH HALF CENTURY FOR YASHASVI JAISWAL! What a terrific knock under pressure.

With that wicket of Rahul, Woakes now has 36 wickets in Tests at this venue. He has 36 wickets at only one other venue - Lord's. One more and Old Trafford would become the new happy hunting ground for the lord of Lord's.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Landed outside off, solidly defended.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Full and wide outside off, Sai Sudharsan comes forward and keeps his bat inside the line yet again.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, wider outside off, SS keeps his bat inside the line.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Off the mark, is the lad from Chennai. A bit too straight from Woakes, on the pads, Sai clips it through mid-wicket and takes a couple to get his score rolling. 100 IS UP FOR INDIA AS WELL.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Landed just outside off, Sudharsan lunges to defend it to the off side.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Full, outside off, Sai Sudharsan lunges and lets the ball go past.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nearly! Full, outside off, YJ gets a full stride to defend but the ball pitches and whizzes past the outside edge!

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, outside off, Jaiswal looks to tap and run towards point but changes his mind.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full, outside off, swinging away late, left alone for the keeper.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Just around off, solidly defended towards cover.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! The sequence of dots is broken. First run after 15 balls. Just seems too many in this age, right? On a good length, outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal rises with the bounce and dabs it to the left of gully, for a boundary towards deep third. Moves to 49 with his 9th four.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, a touch wide outside off, left alone.

The sun was out for a brief moment.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Short of full, outside off, shouldered arms to. Consecutive maidens.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Landed outside off, left alone this time.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, That seemed like an afterthought. Or an indecision. Wide outside off, on a good length, one felt that Sudharsan was initially thinking to let it go before choosing to defend. Did so with an open bat face and got it off the bottom of the bat towards gully.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Fuller, outside off, left alone again.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length but way outside off, Sai Sudharsan pulls his bat away from the line.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Short and outside off, Yashasvi pushes but misses. First maiden for Carse.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, That came a million miles from outside off, Jaiswal was in no place to play this as he could even defend the ball. Pitched on a good length, outside off, he looked to defend or punch but even before the bat could come down, the ball zipped back in a long way and hit his pads. LBW shouts all around but that was going down leg.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full and straight, well blocked out this time.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Excellent bowling. Just short of full, outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal comes forward, not entirely sure whether to play or leave and pokes half-heartedly at it. Gets beaten.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Back of a length, outside off, blocked down.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Sai Sudharsan walks in next at number 3, replacing KL Rahul.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, ! EDGED AND TAKEN! Would you believe it? Just out of nowhere, with seemingly nothing much happening, England get a wicket! On a length, outside off, KL Rahul looks to punch it down the ground but just like three balls ago, there is a bit of late away movement on the ball. As a result, Rahul is not quite able to control his shot and the ball flies off the outside edge, straight to Zak Crawley at third slip! 

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Landed outside off, defended solidly by the batter towards the off side.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, The sun peeks out and that makes it sound even better for Indian fans. A bit too straight from Woakes, Rahul clips it behind square leg for a couple.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Landed outside off, perhaps a bit short, moving away, there to cut, KL looks to cut but the ball moves away late and beats him.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Full and just outside off, Rahul defends solidly.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, KL Rahul gets across and lets the ball go.

7 out of Rahul's 9 away Test centuries have come in the SENA nations, which is the joint most for any Indian batter since KL Rahul's Test debut in December 2014.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Down the leg side, helped towards deep square leg for a single.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, seaming away, KL Rahul shoulders arms.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full and straight, 140 kph, Yashasvi gets across and tickles it towards long leg for a single.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Around off, pushed to the off side.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! Not learning and will not go unpunished. After escaping on the previous ball, Carse bowls it short again. This time, Jaiswal punches it to the left of the point fielder and finds the boundary. Overtakes Rahul and moves to 44! The stand moves to 90.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Lucky to have got away there, Carse.

Just before the resumption of play post Lunch, Yashasvi Jaiswal was seen having some throwdowns. Virat Kohli and Brian Lara were some of the greats who used to do this, before resumption after every break. Just to get used to the light and conditions.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Full and straight, KL defends.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Around middle and off, Rahul works it towards mid-wicket.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, No run.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, A touch short, outside off, sliced through point but straight to the fielder.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, A touch short, around middle, Rahul works this through square leg for a couple.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Full, outside off, driven towards point.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full and straight, 136 kph, solidly defended by YJ. Seems like Carse will have to rebowl this one as the third umpire has indicated to the onfield umpire that he has overstepped. NO BALL signalled and the replay shows that Carse just about stretched the line.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! The extra ball costs England!

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full and straight, 136 kph, solidly defended by YJ.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Banged in on a good length, outside off, 135 kph, Yashasvi defends.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Fuller, wider outside off, 133 kph, Jaiswal drives square of the wicket but finds point.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, A half volley now, on middle and leg, Rahul flicks it towards deepish square leg for a single, to get the session rolling. 

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Full and straight, KL Rahul pushes it towards mid on.

The players and umpires make their way out to the middle.

Not far from the resumption of play. Along with the crowd, there has been an increase in the clouds in the heavens above, which has just added a bit of murkiness to the surroundings. But they don't see too threatening to start precipitating. Well, if they are biased, they might start to precipitate, especially if England don't pick up wickets soon. Throughout this series, once the Dukes ball has gone past 30 overs, it has gone softer and batting has significantly become a lot easier. That means,

... DAY 1, SESSION 2 ...

Lazy? Not caring enough? These are some of the words used by former English fast bowler Katherine Sciver-Brunt, and also the wife of current skipper, Nat Sciver-Brunt. These have come on the back of a dual home series defeat against India Women, in first, the T20Is and later, the ODIs. As per Kat, it is not the defeat but the manner of the defeat which is hurting England fans. She feels that the players are lacking good attitude and discipline and that is primarily seen through their fielding la

Some news on Karun Nair. He has been left out of this game, but there is some good news for him. He has been granted the NOC from the Vidarbha Cricket Association, to return to his home state, Karnataka, for the 2025-26 domestic season. Having represented Vidarbha for the past two seasons, Nair found a lot of success in both the red and white-ball formats, eventually helping Vidarbha to their third Ranji Trophy earlier this year. 863 runs in 16 innings with four centuries at 53.93 was good eno

Is this now a good toss to lose? Or is it just down to the execution of the two teams? While England can be deemed guilty of not being full enough and India can be credited for not throwing their wickets away, one will do well to remember that there were quite a few balls which did not carry at a good height to the cordon behind. In fact, in the very first over itself, Jaiswal had edged one, only to see it fall well short of Zak Crawley at third slip. This second session could be a very importa

England will certainly be a bit discontent as they started well, bowling the right lengths and we even saw a few edges from the Indian batters. However, the lengths started to become more on the shorter side and Brydon Carse simply couldn't follow up the good work done by the likes of Woakes and Archer. Every now and then, there were deliveries that looked to be troubling the bowlers, but we didn't see enough of those. Ben Stokes will certainly have a chat with his bowlers in the break and wo

India's score reads 78/0 in 26 overs and the scoring rate is exactly 3 runs per over but for a large part of the session, the scoring rate was sluggish and that was a given as there was actual help for the pacers, both in the air and off the deck. Yashasvi Jaiswal managed to curtail his instincts and has now given himself a platform from where he can do serious damage and quickly too. KL Rahul, on the other hand, has carried his confidence from the previous games to Old Trafford and he's been

A session that has belonged to India and Shubman Gill will be over the moon with how his openers have played. Given the contrast between the overhead conditions and the actual pitch, it was a good toss to lose for India and England simply haven't managed a breakthrough, even after bowling some immaculate deliveries.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, On a good length, around off, 138 kph, KL Rahul nudges it through square leg for a single and will start the next session. LUNCH ON DAY 1, INDIA 78/0!

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, A meaningless bouncer, way down the leg side, KLR ducks.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, angling away, KL pushes it towards gully.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Full and straight again, 141 kph, Rahul pushes it to the off side.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Full and straight, 140 kph, KL Rahul defends.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, down the leg side, 138 kph, Yashasvi Jaiswal tucks it through mid-wicket for a single, with the bowler himself running after the ball. England would not want Archer to do too much of running to field the ball. He is much better off steaming in with the ball in hand.

KL has been a silent force for India outside home conditions, scoring 9 out of his 10 Test hundreds away from home, including 70 percent of his career runs.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Another bumper, at the batter and rising up late. Jaiswal awkwardly fends it down into the off side and scampers through for a single.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! Yashasvi Jaiswal is growing in confidence with every passing over now. Banged in short and outside off, Jaiswal hops up on his toes and uppercuts the ball over deep third for a biggie.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Very full and straight, gets the yorker in. Yashasvi Jaiswal is hanging back and manages to jam his bat down in time.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Fuller, just around off, 136 kph, Jaiswal defends solidly.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Short of full and just outside off, 134 kph, Yashasvi Jaiswal stays back to defend.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, angling in, KL Rahul tucks it towards fine leg for a single.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Good length on middle and leg, confidently blocked to mid on.

Rahul now has 4 Test centuries in England – the most by an Indian opener; no one else has more than 2.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! Yashasvi Jaiswal taking evasive action here and somehow, he's found a boundary as well, adding to Archer's frustration.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, BEAUTY! Just full of a good length, on off and this one carries on with the angle but not too much. Yashasvi Jaiswal looks to defend but is beaten past the outside edge.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, KL pushes it in front of cover and with calls of 'YES! YES! EK HAI! EK HAI! AAJA!', calls Jaiswal through for a quick single.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Similar length, 136 kph, this one bounces normally. Rahul pushes it towards point.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, That is a brute. Out of nowhere. On a good length, outside off, KL Rahul looks to defend but the ball pitches and suddenly shoots up, going past the outside edge.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! Smacked away! A fraction too short and outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal hangs back and backs away before cutting it hard and well behind point for a crisp boundary.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Fuller now, angling it in towards the middle stump, Jaiswal jams it back out towards the bowler.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Length ball on off and middle, straightening down the line, Jaiswal covers the line and blocks it off.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Fuller now, around off, driven back to the bowler.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Dead ball. Stokes comes running in, but loses his runup and bails out. Reload.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal comes forward and pushes it into the ground towards gully.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Shorter length again, just pulls the trigger wide and angles it well past the off stump. Rahul leaves it alone.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Dug in a bit short and around off, 140 kph, Rahul keeps it down on the off side.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Good length in the channel, angling back into the batter, Rahul presses back to defend.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, down the leg side, 136 kph, Yashasvi hops and tucks it behind square leg for a single.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full, outside off, 139 kph, hint of away movement, Jaiswal defends.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Well, good signs for England. Jofra Archer is back on to bowl. Seemed pretty ginger after that dive. Starts with a fuller ball, around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal drives but cannot beat mid on.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, Back of a length and around off, Rahul hangs back and blocks it in front of point with ease. A maiden over from Stokes.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, Full of a good length and outside off, this one holds its line. KL Rahul leans across and has a poke at it but gets beaten on the outside edge.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, No run.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, No run.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, No run.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, No run.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, A good short ball, around off, Jaiswal defends.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, 1 run.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, 1 run.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, 3 runs.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, A short ball now, Rahul looks to pull but misses and is hit on the body.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, No run.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full, on middle, pushed towards mid on.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, A touch short, outside off, angling in, Yashasvi Jaiswal pushes but misses.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, angling in, pushed towards mid on for a single.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! SLASHED HARD!

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Around off, solidly defended.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, First real attacking shot attempted by Jaiswal this morning. He has been very patient, having consumed 44 balls before this one, determined to not throw his wicket away. But now, with him being set at the crease, perhaps thinks that he can open his arms. A touch short, outside off, not all that wide, Jaiswal throws his bat at it and slashes hard but misses.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal defends.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, Huge LBW shout, but turned down. To the naked eye, this seems to be going down the leg side and that's what keeper Jamie Smith seems to be telling Stokes as the skipper discusses about the review. Coming to the ball, it was a lovely inswinger, delivered from wide of the crease. Started from outside off but tailed back in a long way as Rahul missed his flick and was hit on the pads.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, Around off, solidly defended.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, Very full, just outside off, KL Rahul leans to play but then takes his bat away.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, moving away, pushed towards point.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, No run.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, around off, froma round the wicket, coming back in, Yashasvi Jaiswal nudges it through square leg for a single.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, ! In the air, but in the gap. Short and wide outside off, KL Rahul rises with the bounce and cuts it uppishly behind point. It is not a million miles away from Ollie Pope who tries to take the catch to his left but the ball whizzes past. The ball slows down near the boundary but eventually trickles to the ropes. Rahul moves to 32.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, On a good length, around off, KL stays back to flick but the ball straightens and squares him up. Takes the leading edge and goes towards point.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Back of a length, outside off, Rahul stays back to block.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, No run.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, No run.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, No run.

Excellent stat by Ricky Ponting on air.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full and outside off, Jaiswal leans on and drives it straight to covers.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Lovely delivery again, and Woakes will feel he's been unlucky so far. Full and around off, scrambled seam again and this one moves away late. Jaiswal is beaten once again.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Beaten!

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Fullish length around middle and leg, Rahul is late on the flick and just gets an inside edge as the ball rolls down to fine leg for a single. Had he missed, that was pretty adjacent.

DRINKS BREAK. Excellent opening hour for the tourists. Under overcast conditions, with the ball moving around off the deck and in the air, they have done well to survive some close calls and trust their defence. Of course, they have been aided by England not utlizing the conditions to full effect, keeping the length a bit too short and the line a bit too wide. Nothing outrageous from either opener so far, with both showing patience and resilience to see the new ball off. Don't know whether it w

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Hard length, slanting into middle and leg, jammed away wide of mid on for another quick single. 9 off the over!

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Around the wicket to the left-hander, bowling it back of a length and over off and middle. Jaiswal blocks it with gentle hands into the off side and the batters scamper across for a single. Good running!

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Short ball at the bodyline, KLR stays inside the line and helps it down to fine leg for a single.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, ! That is smashed away! A bit short but well outside off, KL Rahul rocks back and cuts it with an open bat face, firmly behind point for a boundary.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Goes full and angles it in at the toes, Rahul takes the front leg out of the way and hits it straight to mid on.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, 2 runs.

One can see the crowd building up nicely. This being the middle day of the week, hard to see the stands filled to full capacity by Tea. Maybe, come the weekend, we could see jam-packed stands from the morning itself.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Hard length, shaping back in towards middle and off, Jaiswal stays upright and blocks it off. A maiden over for Woakes.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Very full and angled in from outside off, YJ shoulders arms.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Good length on off and middle, darting back in, Jaiswal manages to keep it out.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Length ball around off, shooting up off the deck. Jaiswal leaves it alone.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, A huge appeal for LBW but the umpire turns it down. Chris Woakes thinks there might have been an inside edge and has a chat with Ben Stokes, who doesn't review it.

This is now KL Rahul's best bilateral Test series.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Hard length, shaping away from wide outside off, left alone.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, On the shorter side and over off stump, KL Rahul gets up on his toes and blocks it back onto the deck.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Just back of a length, nipping back into the batter. Rahul gets hurried as he looks to flick and gets an inside edge onto the groin area.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Back of a length and outside off, cutting back in sharply. Rahul quickly gets his bat behind his body and leaves it alone.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, 2 runs.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Starts with a shortish ball and extracts some additional bounce off the deck. Rahul is taken aback but manages to keep it down towards gully.

Some Indian legends can be seen at the venue. Former Indian stumper Farokh Engineer and star batter Dilip Vengsarkar are sitting beside each other.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Excellent comeback delivery from Woakes! Goes fuller and gets the ball to swing away late from the off stump line, Jaiswal has a poke at it but gets beaten past the outside edge.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! Top shot!

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full and wide outside off, Jaiswal reaches out to drive and does so well but can't beat the point fielder, Ollie Pope, who dives to his left and makes a goo save.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Fuller in length, around middle, Jaiswal forces it with the angle towards mid on.

For the first time, KL Rahul has scored more than 1 century in a bilateral test series.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, seaming in from outside off, left alone.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, A short ball now, down the leg side, Rahul gets outside the line and lets it pass. Good take by the keeper, Jamie Smith, leaping to his left.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, 138 kph, KL Rahul stays back, and plays it off the deck, away from his body, guiding it to the right of Ollie Pope at third slip. Pope dives but cannot stop the ball. Has to get up and fetch the ball himself. Two runs taken by then.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Landed outside off, a touch too full, 141 kph, KLR keeps his bat inside the line and behind his front pad.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, No run.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Full and a bit too straight, shaping in, Rahul looks to flick but misses and is hit on the pads.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Full, outside off, KL Rahul pushes it towards cover and sets off for a single but is sent back.

Change of bats then, for Yashasvi Jaiswal. Karun Nair is the one who brings about 3-4 bats for Jaiswal. The batters take the opportunity to sip a few gulps of water as well. All in readiness now as Jaiswal is happy with his selection.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Wide outside off, swinging in a long way, shouldered arms to.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, THE HANDLE GETS BROKEN!

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Very full, outside off, swinging back in, but too wide to be played at.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tempting line, just a touch wider outside off and keeping the length full, Yashasvi Jaiswal comes forward but shoulders arms.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full, just outside off, left alone.

So Rahul becomes the 5th Indian batter to notch up 1000 runs or more in Tests in England. 4 others before him include Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar and Virat Kohli. Tendulkar tops the list with 1575 runs.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, No run.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Terrific bowling, excellent batting. Landed just short of full, outside off, KLR initially comes forward to defend but just at the last moment, leaves the ball alone on length. The ball rears back sharply and he does really well to take his bat and gloves out of the way.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Just around off, solidly defended. That one came back in a long way.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Full, outside off, 137 kph, shaping away, KL stays back and shoulders arms.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, Rahul stays on top of the bounce and punches it towards cover.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Full, outside off, swinging in nicely, 141 kph, KL Rahul defends it solidly.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full, outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal lunges to defend but the ball pitches and straightens, just missing the outside edge.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, 1 run.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, ! Streaky! Luck has been with India this morning. They could easily have lost both the openers but have survived. Full and wide outside off, KL Rahul reaches out to drive but the ball swings away and takes the outside edge. Flies between gully and third slip, and races to the deep third fence. 1000 RUNS FOR KL RAHUL IN TESTS IN ENGLAND. The only country away from home where he has reached this landmark.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Landed just outside off, KL stays behind it and pushes it towards cover-point.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, That is a real beauty. Full, outside off, 130 kph, coming in with the angle, Rahul comes forward to defend. But just before pitching, the ball swings away, beating the outside edge.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, 129 kph, KL Rahul allows the ball to arrive and then punches it off his back foot, finding the gap through the covers. Two runs taken.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Archer switches to around the wicket and bowls it on a good length, but it is still wide outside off to be played at.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Wider outside off, an easier leave this time.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Good shot, great fielding.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, This one nips back in from outside off, bounces extra, KL Rahul comes forward to defend but gets pinged hard on the gloves. The ball drops down beside him on the leg side.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Full and wide outside off, left alone.

In his last 5 bowling innings at this venue, Chris Woakes has picked up 16 wickets which also includes a five-wicket haul against Australia.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, A beauty from Woakes! Pitches the ball right up on off stump, this one leaves the batter nicely off the deck. Yashasvi Jaiswal looks to play down the line but there's enough movement for the ball to beat the outside edge.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Good-length delivery, in the channel outside off, Jaiswal leaves it alone. Some late swing on offer for Woakes as that one shaped away after passing the batter.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Very full and straight, angling in from around middle, Jaiswal looks to flick it away but gets a bit of a leading edge and the ball rolls back to the bowler.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full, but slipped down the leg side, Jaiswal misses his flick.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, A good length ball, just around off, defended solidly.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Four!

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, No run.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Back of a length and around off, Rahul hops back and dabs it down well behind point.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, No run.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Hard length at the batter, KL Rahul looks to stay back and flick it away but misses and gets hit on the thigh pad.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, A proper bumper now, over middle and at 139 kph. Rahul ducks under it.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Full, just outside off, KL comes forward to defend but then watches the ball go away from him.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, No run.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, No run.

Only once has Woakes gone wicketless in an innings in Tests in Manchester.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Fuller delivery, angled into the pads, Rahul misses the flick and the ball hits the pads, rolling behind square leg. Rahul picks up a leg bye.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, ! Begging to be hit! Banged in short and outside off, comes slower off the deck. KL Rahul has all the time to swivel and pull it away in front of square on the leg side for a boundary.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Full of a good length and on off, this one sticks in the deck as well. Rahul watchfully blocks it off.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Full and outside off, KL defends it solidly towards cover.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Way down the leg side, Rahul looks to flick but misses. The keeper, Jamie Smith, dives to his left and makes a half stop, with the ball pinging him hard on the glove. There is a leg gully in place as well, so that might have been a deliberate plan to bowl down the leg side.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, 131 kph, KL Rahul stays back and punches it towards mid-wicket.

KL Rahul has by far been the best new-ball batter across both teams, getting dismissed just ONCE inside the first 15 overs in the previous 3 Tests.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, And again! Full and quick in the channel, angling away, Jaiswal leaves it alone.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Fuller in length, around off and darting across the left-hander at 140 kph. Jaiswal shoulders arms at it.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Good, positive running! Back of a length and at the batter, Rahul presses back and nudges it down in front of short mid-wicket and scampers through for a single.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Back of a length, outside off, KL shoulders arms.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Very full, outside off, swinging away, Rahul looks to drive but gets a bit of a bottom edge on that side.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, No run.

Chris Woakes has been a consistent bowler for England in Tests. Since 2023, he has taken the most wickets among English pace bowlers (58). Jofra Archer will share the new ball with Woakes.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, EDGED AND ! Yashasvi Jaiswal and India are off the mark in streaky fashion. Nice and full in the channel around off, Jaiswal jars at it and gets another outside edge that goes down and through the fielder at second slip, rolling away into the fence behind. India are 4/0 after the first over.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Edged but doesn't carry! Woakes pitches it a bit further up around off and forces the batter to play at it. Yashasvi Jaiswal pushes at it and gets a genuine outside edge that lands short of Zak Crawley at third slip. No real pace in the pitch, it seems.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Wide outside off again, Jaiswal shoulders arms.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

The anthems have been sung and we are ready for the action to commence in this fourth Test. The roster says that it is scheduled for 5 days but only time will tell whether we have another 5-day Test.  The conditions stay overcast but there is a tinge of blue visible, with the sun trying its best to see whether it can gain a free entry for this match. The players are out in the middle, with Chris Woakes straightaway taking the new ball in his hand. For India, they have the regular set of opener

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, That is a good start. On a good length, from around the wicket, getting it to seam back in, Yashasvi Jaiswal plays inside the line and is beaten, as the ball keeps coming in.

It is time now for the national anthems of the two teams. India, being the visiting nation, will have their anthem sung first, followed by that of England.

Sadly, as one might call it, the third Test came into the spotlight for a majority of wrong reasons. The match needs to be remembered for the way it ended, with both teams fighting tooth and nail right into the last session. However, what happened in the press conference came to light and kept on doing the rounds. Eventually, it emerged that England were aiming some personal attacks on the Indian players which did not go down too well. However, that is the how the sport goes and this match more

The skipper of England, BEN STOKES, agrees that his decision is based on the overhead conditions, calling them decent for bowling. On the mood in the English camp post the victory at Lord's, Stokes says that everyone had a good break in between the Lord's Test and this one, so it gave a good opportunity for everyone to head back home, put their feet up, take a break and come back recharged. On his own fitness post the third Test, Ben says that he gave everything in that Test but left everything

The captain of India, SHUBMAN GILL, says that he was confused with the forecast around but feels that the surface looks good. Believes that it is a good toss to lose. On India's mentality post the third Test, Gill says that his team has been outstanding. Adds that it has just been the small crunch moments that they have lost, else they have won more sessions than England and that is a great positive for his side. On the 9-day break, Shubman agrees that this break was definitely needed. Details t

India (Playing XI) - Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan (In for Karun Nair), Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur (In for Nitish Kumar Reddy), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Anshul Kamboj (On debut, in for Akash Deep).

England (Playing XI) - Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Liam Dawson (In for Shoaib Bashir), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.

TOSS - Ben Stokes and Shubman Gill are all smiles at the toss, and the former is all set to flip the coin. Gill calls 'Heads,' and it lands as 'Tails,' which means Gill has lost all four coin tosses in this series. Ben Stokes opts to BOWL first.

The top order laid the platform, seeing off the new ball and just bedding in, not worrying about Bazball's response. There was a bit of a wobble in the middle order but the lower middle order rallied around nicely to take the visitors past 350. Barring that collapse in the second session on Day 1, every stand in the top 7 faced at least 35 balls, meaning that they hung in there. There were three critical stands - 94 between Rahul and Jaiswal, unbeaten 72 between Pant and Sudharsan and then, a fi

Post Lunch, the Indians just came looking out for some quick runs and that is always a double-edged sword. They got the runs, but kept losing wickets as well. But overall, they will be very happy with the results of the 4-and-some sessions. There are two ways to look at the scorecard. 1. As many as 7 batters made between 25 and 65. So, starts not converted. 2. The pitch is so difficult to bat that you are never in, despite playing 100-odd deliveries.

Well, that escalated pretty quickly. 4/37 in 9.1 overs since Lunch and England have finally managed to bowl India out. But not before the tourists crossed the 350-run mark, which looks a terrific score on this pitch with inconsistent bounce. Add to that, there is someone in the bowling camp whose first name starts with J and the surname ends with H. He will just enjoy bowling on this deck.

Jofra Archer to Jasprit Bumrah, ! CAUGHT DOWN THE LEG SIDE! Magnificent review by the combination of Jamie Smith and Joe Root! A bizarre way to end the innings. A length ball, down the leg side, Jasprit Bumrah looked to swing it over fine leg but missed. The keeper, Jamie Smith, appealed for the catch but the umpire said no. The captain was not paying attention, so the former captain, Joe Root, yelled out to Stokes, who is probably somewhere near long on and signalled him to si

Ben Stokes to Mohammed Siraj, Tries a repeat, does Siraj but Stokes follows him. Cramps him for room as MS looks to cut and beats him.

Ben Stokes to Mohammed Siraj, ! MURDERED! Length and straight, Mohammed Siraj backs away and swings it straight back over the bowler, into the boundary behind!

Ben Stokes to Mohammed Siraj, No run.

Reload. Something goes in Stokes' eye and he bails out.

Ben Stokes to Mohammed Siraj, A length ball now, outside off, Mohammed slashes hard but misses.

Ben Stokes to Mohammed Siraj, No run.

Ben Stokes to Mohammed Siraj, No run.

Jofra Archer to Jasprit Bumrah, EDGED, ! Useful runs for India. Full, outside off, Bumrah looks to drive but the ball nips back in, takes the inside edge and races past the stumps to the fine leg fence.

Jofra Archer to Jasprit Bumrah, No run.

Jofra Archer to Mohammed Siraj, 1 run.

Mohammed Siraj is the last batter in, replacing Rishabh Pant.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, ! BOWLED!

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, High in the air... and? Six? Four? Wicket? One? Two? Three?

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, Another slower ball. This is T20 mode now. Batter looking for boundaries, bowler looking for deception. Full, outside off, Rishabh Pant comes forward and looks to heave but misses.

Ben Stokes to Jasprit Bumrah, Goes for the yorker again, this time on middle, but Bumrah is up for it. Takes it on the full and flicks it behind square leg. Almost, by habit, he starts to run for the single but then realizes who is at the other end and goes back. Flashes a broad smile to Pant.

Ben Stokes to Jasprit Bumrah, Beauty. Full, outside off, Jasprit Bumrah looks to defend but the ball pitches and moves away extravagantly to beat the outside edge.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, This one zips back in from a length, Rishabh falls over but manages to flick it through mid-wicket and this time, takes the single.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Full and straight, Pant flicks it uppishly towards deep mid-wicket. No single taken.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Around middle and leg, pushed towards mid on.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, ! 50 FOR PANT! How has he done that? Full and wide outside off, Rishabh Pant reaches out and just puts bat on ball. But it takes the middle of the bat and races across the turf through cover! 18th half century in Tests for Pant.

Right. Pant on 49. What's the bet that he could do a Will Jacks from the 2024 IPL edition?

Jofra Archer to Jasprit Bumrah, Nice yorker, from over the wicket, Jasprit Bumrah plays it out comfortably.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, This is quicker and worked through mid-wicket for a single. Moves to 49.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, Six!

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, There comes a spearing yorker, right on that injured right foot, but Rishabh does really well to get bat on that, take it on the full and work it towards deep square leg. Does not take the single.

Entertaining period so far. We have had 5 overs since Lunch, seen just 16 runs scored, and 2 wickets falling, but it seems as if the Powerplay of a T20 is going on. Anything could happen anytime.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, Pace off, on a length, outside off, Pant backs away early to the leg side, aiming to go off side and hence, cannot connect.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, No run.

Ben Stokes to Jasprit Bumrah, No run.

Jasprit Bumrah walks in next, at number 10, replacing debutant Anshul Kamboj.

Ben Stokes to Anshul Kamboj, ! CAUGHT! There it is, Ben Stokes with a fifer! He has bowled his heart out here again after bowling a fantastic spell at Lord's! 

Ben Stokes to Anshul Kamboj, Delivers it on the fullish length and outside off, moving away from the batter, Anshul Kamboj watches it carefully before leaving out. 

Anshul Kamboj walks out next at number 9, on debut, replacing Washington Sundar. He is no mug with the bat either.

Ben Stokes to Anshul Kamboj, No run.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, ! CAUGHT! Knock, knock! Who is it? Me? Ben Stokes. Oh dear. Wicket time? I guess so.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, A length ball, Rishabh Pant whips it through mid-wicket. The ball races away and Ollie Pope charges onto the ball but the batters are not in a position to go for the second due to obvious reasons.

190/6. That's what New Zealand have managed in the final league game of the tri-series in Zimbabwe, against Zimbabwe.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Another full delivery, around off, Sundar blocks it off the front foot.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, 1 run.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, No run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, 1 run.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, Leg bye.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, ! A good shot! Much fuller again but outside off this time, Washington Sundar comes forward and looks to drive it but gets it off the outer half of the bat. The ball goes through the gap between third slip and gully to deep third for a boundary. He has played that intentionally, as it seems so.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Leg bye.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Oh, another hit! A fuller ball, around middle, coming in with an angle, Rishabh Pant looks to flick it but gets beaten on the inside edge and gets hit on the front pad, above his foot. Could be sliding down leg, with that angle.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, 1 run.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, 1 run.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, BYES! More freebies from England. And this time it is not Brydon Carse.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Maiden! On the hard length and just outside off, it threatens to come in but gets straightened out from there. Sundar leaves it.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, On the fuller side, and around middle, Sundar keeps it out towards mid on.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Another loud appeal for LBW but is turned down again by the umpire! Stokes talks to his keeper, bowler, and takes a review here! Archer has bowled it on a good length and around off, gets it to nip back in from there, Washington Sundar comes forward to defend it but gets beaten on the outside edge, as it seems so. The ball has clipped the front pad and goes behind the wickets, where Jamie catches it low to his left with one hand. 

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Will it be Archer again?

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, Goes fuller and around off, Sundar comes forward and taps it with soft hands. The ball goes in the gap to the left of backward point. A single taken, where Pant somehow manages to reach the other end.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, A bouncer now, angling into the body of the batter, Washington Sundar sits down and sways away from it.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, Lands it on a good length and outside off, seaming away, Sundar leaves it.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, No run.

Welcome back. Not a single cover is present now and we are all ready for action to resume. Just a reminder, because play was halted 10 minutes early before Lunch, this will be a slightly extended session, roughly of 130 minutes. Tea will be taken at the scheduled time, 8.10 pm IST (1440 GMT), weather and light permitting. Ben Stokes to kick things off to Washington Sundar post Lunch. 19-3-55-3 so far.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, A touch wider outside off, left alone.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, No run.

... DAY 2, SESSION 2 ...

Good news from the ground. The Hover Cover is present, but it is off the pitch, just as a precaution. The Super Soppers are doing their rounds. The weather remains overcast, but it definitely seems a lot brighter than it was before Lunch. Looking elsewhere, the third T20I between Bangladesh and Pakistan has kicked off in Mirpur and for once, the visitors have got off to a good start. Their openers have raised a 50-run stand and the Powerplay is in its last over. Bangladesh already sealed the ser

The weather, though, might play a role in the upcoming session as well. Rain cut short the first session, and the sky remains overcast. But if play resumes smoothly, it will be an important phase for both teams. India will look to stretch their total closer to 400, while England need a breakthrough early in the second session to get into India’s tail and finish things quickly. The match is finely poised, and the next hour or two will tell us which way the momentum swings. 

From England’s perspective, the morning started on a high with Archer getting rid of Jadeja, but nothing happened in the middle phase of this first session. There were Five Wides bowled on two separate occasions, showing their inaccuracy. Brydon Carse, in particular, was guilty of being erratic with his line, even overstepping twice. Stokes, though, once again turned out to be the most impactful bowler, adding Thakur to his wickets tally and now sitting on three. Archer and Woakes also bowled

Washington Sundar, who came in under pressure, looked composed. He was steady on the crease, happy to rotate the strike and spend time in the middle. And then came the moment when Rishabh Pant walked in to bat despite carrying a fractured foot. The fans cheered his courage. He is there, battling injury and has even taken some singles.

India resumed at 264/4 with Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur at the crease. But they lost Jadeja early as Jofra Archer struck in just the second over with the second new ball. That blow pushed India a little on the back foot, but Thakur and Washington Sundar joined hands and started to rebuild calmly. Their 48-run stand brought some much-needed stability to the innings. Thakur, who looked solid and played with intent, eventually fell to a brilliant catch of Duckett just before the rain came

India have managed to hold their ground well in the first session of Day 2, despite the drizzle that forced an early Lunch. They added 57 more runs to their overnight score, reaching 321/6. England did make inroads with two key wickets, but India’s batters remained composed and kept the scoreboard ticking. It wasn’t a dominant session for either side, more of a balanced one, but India look well on course for a total close to 375. England will know they need a few quick wickets to restric

No, we don't continue. Boos around the ground, not for Shubman Gill, but because the players are going off the field. The umpires have called in for the Hover Cover and with just 10 minutes left for Lunch, the umpires have called for LUNCH ON DAY 2. That means, we will start the second session 10 minutes early, around 6 pm IST (1230 GMT). INDIA 321/6!

Game stopped due to : Rain Stoppage

It has started to drizzle now. And it is coming a bit harder. The umpires have a chat and are signalling something towards the groundstaff. It has gone pretty gloomy and the floodlights have been switched on as well. For now, we continue. 

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Landed outside off, coming in, Pant takes his bat away.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, A length ball, outside off, coming in, Pant has a swing but misses. The third umpire has a chat with the onfield umpire and informs that Carse has overstepped again. 4 no balls in this innings, all by him. The replay shows that the foot just about landed on the line, nothing behind it.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Down the leg side, helped through square leg for one.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Back of a length, around off, jagging back in, Rishabh Pant is looking to punch it through the covers but is cramped for room with the ball coming in. Manages to get the ball through the covers and hobbles across for the single. Brings a smile to everyone's lips. Though, we bet, nothing can beat Glenn Maxwell's hobble against Afghanistan at the Wankhede in the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, On a length, around leg stump, 130 kph, Washington taps it through mid-wicket for a single.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, On a length again, wider outside off, moving away, left alone again by Sundar. 

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, On a length, outside off, going away with the angle but then swerving in late, left alone by Washington Sundar.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, Down the leg side, Washington helps it towards fine leg and the pair jogs through for a single. Stokes decides to sledge Sundar and gives him a mouthful but the resilient Sundar is concentrating on digging the pebbles off the pitch.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, Full, outside off, pretty wide, Sundar leaves it alone again. This one though, comes in late with the angle, but after it passes the stumps. No problems for Sundar but problems for - guess who? Yep, Jamie Smith! When is Lunch?

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, Full and wide outside off, left alone.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, On a length, around off, coming in, Washington Sundar pushes this towards short mid-wicket.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Short and wide outside off, Pant punches this through the covers for a single.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, That has spat up. Pant has a sore foot and now, he will have a sore digit as well.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Identical to the previous delivery, only this time, it is a legal one. Left alone.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, No ball!

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Did that slip out of the hand? From around the wicket, Carse bowls it miles outside off and WS watches it go past.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Very full, outside off, Washington pushes it towards cover.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Wider outside off, seaming away, Sundar lets it pass. 

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Back of a length now, around leg stump, easier one to fend down.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Ahh.. now then! Smell the leather, mate! England are opting for the short ball tactic now. Having bowled primarily length and full balls so far. Washington Sundar is on the front foot and is completely taken by surprise, as the ball pitches and rears at him. He takes his eyes off the ball and it hits his glove and drops down to the leg side. Sundar himself loses balance and falls down.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Oh, wow! BEATEN! Hard length and around the fourth stump line, the ball gets straightened out after pitching, Rishabh Pant tries to defend it but the ball goes past the outside edge and the keeper collects it to his left.

All eyes towards India's dressing room. Who is walking out? It is RISHABH PANT! He is literally struggling to walk down the stairs and not just the Indian supporters, but the whole of Old Trafford rises as one to applaud the courage of this man! The physio or doctor has done well to ensure the stitches in Pant's right foot are good enough to enable him to at least walk towards the pitch. Doesn't look like he is very mobile, but crucially, are England going to straightaway target the fuller or

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Nagging length and outside off, Pant goes to drive it but gets beaten on the outside edge. 

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, ! c Ben Duckett b Ben Stokes.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Nagging length and outside off this time, Thakur comes forward but leaves it.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Swings back in, on a good length but way too down the leg side, Thakur looks to tickle it but misses. The keeper goes across to his left and he has to put in a dive to stop it. 

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Angling in, a bit fuller and around off, Shardul Thakur defends it off the back foot. 

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Switches to around the wicket, bowls it on a good length and outside off, Washington Sundar covers his off stump and shoulders his arms.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Pitches it up and outside off, Sundar comes forward and drives it. Doesn't connect well and gets it off the outer half of the bat. The ball goes straight to backward point. 

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Much fuller, almost a yorker, around off, WS digs it out back to the bowler off the inner half of the bat.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, On a good length and outside off, going away with that angle, Sundar leaves it.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Not that full, on a length and around off, Sundar comes forward to defend it but gets beaten on the inside edge and wears it on the thighpad.

Brydon Carse to Shardul Thakur, Full and around off, Thakur taps it with soft hands towards point and takes a quick single.

Amidst the gloom, there is a silver lining for England. Ben Stokes has now bowled 122 overs in this series, which is his most in a bilateral series ever.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Just short!

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Nagging length and outside off, left alone.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Down the leg side, Thakur leaves it. The keeper moves across to his left to grab it behind the stumps.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Had it been a direct hit, Sundar was gone! Much fuller and around middle, Thakur nudges it towards short mid on and takes a step forward and calls for a run. But as Sundar responds, the fielder Carse was too quick to get to the ball and collect it. Thakur sends Sundar back. Carse makes a throw to the non-striker's end but misses as Sundar was short there, despite trying to drag his bat down. 

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Hard length and outside off, moving away a touch, Thakur leaves it this time.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Short of a length and outside off, the ball rises furthermore, Thakur presses back and looks to cut it off late but gets beaten on the outside edge.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, A bit shorter and around middle, Sundar hops up and blocks it into the leg side.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Hard length and around middle, seams back in, Sundar gets caught in his crease as he goes to flick it but misses. Gets hit on the thigh pad.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, 2 runs.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, On a good length and around the fourth stump line, Sundar leaves it.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Another! Similar delivery, a bit shorter and around off, Sundar gets inside the line and leaves it.

Meanwhile, in Harare, in the last league game of the Zimbabwe T20I triseries, between Zimbabwe and New Zealand, the hosts have managed to get the first wicket of the Kiwis, after New Zealand elected to bat.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, No run.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Hits the deck hard and bowls it on a hard length, a bit outside off as well. Shardul taps it in front of cover point.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Nagging length and around off, Thakur blocks it off the back foot.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, 1 run.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, Oh, so close to get chopped on! An unexpected yorker from Stokes, around off, Sundar gets surprised but brings his bat down and tries to jam it out. The ball takes the underedge of the bat and clips his thigh pad and rolls away. It goes beside the off stump, where Sundar tried to flick it away but the ball has passed already. Could be close! 

More bad news for England. They have received another warning for slow over rate from the umpires. They got one on Day 1 too. As far as India are concerned, they get another boost. The BCCI have officially confirmed that Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of fielding and keeping in this Test but WILL BE AVAILABLE TO BAT, should the need arise! He is already in the dressing room and who knows, should a wicket fall, might just stride out next!

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, Switches to over the wicket, and bowls it on a good length and around off, Sundar gets opened up but manages to block it.

Ben Stokes to Washington Sundar, Nagging length and around middle, comes in with an angle, Sundar hops up and defends it into the pitch.

Brydon Carse to Shardul Thakur, Moving away, on the fuller side, outside off, Thakur watches it carefully and lets it go.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Angling into the body of the batter, back of a length, Sundar gets inside the line and tucks it through square leg for one.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Hard length, over off, Sundar rises with the bounce and drops it down towards backward point.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, On a good length and around off, angling in, WS keeps it out towards mid on.

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, No run.

DRINKS BREAK. Another frustrating hour for the home side. They have bowled much better than how they did on the first morning, but still, luck eludes them. Jofra Archer himself could have had 4-5 wickets but that is how the game goes. India have been patient and mixed caution with aggression. Not thrown their wickets away, but capitalized on the bad balls. 42 runs have come in 13 overs this morning but crucially, 40 of those runs have come from this current pair of Sundar and Thakur. Also, En

Brydon Carse to Washington Sundar, Some aggression or intent from Sundar now!

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, On a length, outside off, Thakur looks to defend but the ball whizzes past the outside edge.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, No run.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Four!

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, That is a beauty! Stokes goes up in an appeal but the umpire stays mum! There isn't much excitement amongst the English slip cordon and eventually, with 3 seconds left on the clock, Stokes takes the review. Seems to be more of his conviction than of anyone else. It was on a good length, outside off, Shardul Thakur looked to defend but the ball kept on rising and went past him, to the keeper. There was a noise as the ball went past and Stokes went up in an app

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, A short ball now, outside off, extra bounce, Shardul Thakur rises with the bounce and taps it towards third slip. The fielder dives and makes a half stop to his right, but gully mops it up.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, No run.

23 runs in the last 5 overs.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Landed on a good length, outside off, pushed towards cover.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Down the leg side, Sundar misses his clip.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, ! Off the edge but into the ground straightaway. On a length, around off, Washington Sundar looks to defend but the ball moves away off the seam and squares him up.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Slight hesitation but all's well in the end. Around off, WS taps it to the off side and starts to run. Stops for a bit as Shardul takes a while to respond but eventually, both cross.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, No run.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Outside off, moving away, dabbed behind gully for a couple. This stand is now worth 31 (53).

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Full and just outside off, Washington Sundar presses forward to defend but the ball nips away off the seam, beating the outside edge.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, FIVE WIDES! Second instance in 3 overs.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Wider outside off, a bit further up, left alone again.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, On a good length, wide outside off, from around the wicket, Washington Sundar keeps his bat behind the pad in defense.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, On a good length, down the leg side, WS helps it towards fine leg for a run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Full, outside off, swinging away, Washington pushes at it as a last-minute thought and misses as the ball swings away.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, On a length, outside off, coming in, Sundar defends it towards short mid-wicket.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Very full, around off, 138 kph, Washington Sundar defends.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, Good running again. Short of full, outside off, Shardul Thakur looks to defend and gets a thick inside edge onto his pads. The ball dribbles into the leg side and Sundar immediately calls him through for a single.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, No run.

Plenty of movement this morning.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Full, outside off, Sundar presses forward to defend. The ball moves away and takes the outside edge. The ball goes along the ground and splits the gap between third slip and gully, rolling towards deep third. The batters take a couple. So no run for the first 18 balls and now, 3 in the last 3.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, A touch wide outside off, angling away, Washington Sundar keeps his bat inside the line.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Had to hurry this time.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Slightly slower, fuller in length, outside off, Shardul Thakur commits himself on the front foot to defend but the ball pitches and then seams away massively, to beat the outside edge.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Full and outside off, pushed to the off side.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, OFF THE MARK ON THE 19TH BALL!

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, A short ball, pushed towards point.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, No run.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, FIVE WIDES! C'mon Jofra, Jamie is a human at the end of the day! How much are you going to punish him for one mistake? Aren't India punishing him enough?

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, Full and just outside off, ST defends watchfully.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, Down the leg side this time, Shardul misses his clip and poor Smith has to go to the other side, to his left, to stop that! Keeping drills going on?

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, My word, what was that? Lucky not to be called a wide.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, Full, outside off, swinging in, 147 kph, Shardul Thakur gets across, comes forward and defends it towards cover.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Switches to around the wicket, and bowls it on a good length from wide of the crease to create an inward angle. The ball keeps coming in and whizzes past the off stump, as Sundar leaves it. The keeper moves to his right to grab it behind the stumps.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Angling in, around leg, on the dragged length, Sundar keeps it out towards mid-wicket off the front foot.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, On the fuller side, and outside off, going away, Washington Sundar comes forward and shoulders his arms.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, No run.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, On a length, around leg stump, Washington Sundar looks to defend but the ball pitches and then moves away, taking the outside edge. Lands short of gully.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Full, on middle and off, flicked to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Flashback, 'Gabba, 2021.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Edged but doesn't carry! A bit fuller and around off, enticing the batter for a drive, Sundar comes forward to defend it but gets an outside edge that dribbles to second slip, who collects it there.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, On a good length, coming in with an angle, around middle, Shardul Thakur gets cramped and loses his bottom half of the bat but manages to drop it down beside the pitch on the leg side. Takes a quick single.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, Down the leg side, Shardul initially thinks of playing at one, but at the last moment, lets it be.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, And this one shoots off. On a length, down the leg side, Thakur looks to clip it fine but misses. The ball keeps on moving after pitching and poor keeper Jamie Smith dives full stretch to his left, making a half stop with his left glove.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, Full, outside off, Shardul Thakur looks to defend but the ball pitches and then swings away, beating the outside edge. Barely carries to the keeper.

So Jadeja's dismissal was Archer's 6th wicket for the series. 

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, BEATEN! Nagging length and around the fourth stump line, holds its line, Washington Sundar strides forward to defend it but gets beaten on the outside edge. 

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, The ball stays a bit low this time, on the fuller side again and outside off, Sundar shoulders his arms again. The keeper collects it on the bounce.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Lands it fuller again and outside off, angling away from the batter, Sundar leaves it.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Better delivery. Fuller in length and closer to the off stump, Sundar trusts the seam of the ball to move away and shoulders arms again.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, On a length, outside off, moving away, 130 kph, easy leave for Washington Sundar.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, On a good length, outside off, coming in, Shardul Thakur watches it carefully and works it behind square leg for a single.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Switches to around the wicket, and bowls it full and around off, tries to nip back in, but it is too fuller. Sundar jams it out towards gully.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, A bit of dragged back length and similar line, just outside off, angling away, Sundar shoulders his arms this time.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, No run.

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Pretty wide outside off, Washington Sundar lets it pass.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, This one nips back in sharply, Thakur looks to play straight but works it off the inner half of the bat, to the right of mid on, for a single. Moves to 30 (51).

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, No run.

Chris Woakes to Washington Sundar, Chris bowls it fuller, trying to find some swing from there, and keeps the line around the fourth stump. The ball goes and moves away from the batter. Sundar is happy to let it go.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Angling in, a bit fuller now and around middle, Thakur looks to defend it but gets an inside edge that rolls away to wide deep fine leg for one.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, ! Thrashed!

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Landed outside off, on a length, Thakur defends again.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Full, around off, watchfully defended.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Four!

Jofra Archer to Washington Sundar, Nagging length and outside off, angling away, Washington Sundar leaves it. End of a successful over from Archer.

Washington Sundar walks in next, at number 8, replacing Ravindra Jadeja.

Jofra Archer to Ravindra Jadeja, ! CAUGHT! Jofra Archer strikes with the new ball and the overnight set batter Ravindra Jadeja is gone!

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, Edged and again just short! Archer swings it back, on the fuller length and around off, Shardul Thakur comes forward to drive it, but generates an outside edge that goes to the right of second slip, where it falls short of Harry Brook, who goes across low to his right to take it. The ball goes through his hands and rolls away behind the slip cordon. A single taken.

Jofra Archer to Shardul Thakur, Beaten now. On a length, outside off, Shardul Thakur looks to drive it on the up but leaves a massive gap between bat and pad.

Jofra Archer to Ravindra Jadeja, Tries for the same ball, does Archer, but overcooks it. Ends up dishing a half volley around leg stump and Jadeja clips it through mid-wicket for a single, for the first run of Day 2.

Jofra Archer to Ravindra Jadeja, EDGED, SHORT! Almost a replica of how Archer dismissed Jaiswal in the first innings of the third Test.

Jofra Archer or Brydon Carse from the other end? The former. 16-2-44-0 so far.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, Moving away, on the fuller side and well outside off, Shardul leaves it. The keeper dives across to his right to grab it behind the stumps.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, No run.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, On the hard length and around the fourth stump line, Shardul Thakur remains on the back foot and defends it.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, A loose ball. Short and wide outside off, Shardul Thakur latches onto the cut, but finds point.

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, No run.

The players slowly make their way out to the middle. Stuart Broad chooses his words very carefully on air, saying that 'The conditions are wonderful, for England', that comma was for the pause. If any, it does not look like a morning in the first place. It is overcast and just slightly better than what it was in the final session of Day 1. The SECOND NEW BALL has been taken and Chris Woakes will make the first use of it. Shardul Thakur to face. Here we go!

Chris Woakes to Shardul Thakur, On a length, just outside off, watchfully defended.

PITCH REPORT - Deep Dasgupta is pitchside. He begins by mentioning that the forecast suggests overcast conditions for the morning, which could make things interesting for the bowlers. He confirms that England are expected to take the second new ball right away, looking to make use of the conditions. Talking about the surface, Deep says the pitch has played pretty much as expected, fair for batting but with a bit of spice for the bowlers. Points out that there is some patchiness, which has made

KL Rahul is down for a quick chat. He starts by saying he’s really enjoying his cricket at the moment. With age and experience, he feels there’s more clarity, especially as an opener, where things can swing either way. He reflects on the value of acceptance, staying calm under pressure, and how factors beyond the field have also helped him maintain balance. Adds that he is just trying to score runs and play the way that suits him best. It’s all about contributing to the team in any way

It's a weekday, so the crowd may take time to fill in, but expect the atmosphere to grow louder with every session. There are afternoon showers predicted in the weather forecast, which could interrupt the game for a while, but things look good for now. So, what’s at stake on Day 2? Momentum. Pressure. Position. This first hour is going to be gold-dust. So, stay tuned for more updates!

As for England, Day 1 may feel like a missed opportunity. They started well but didn’t get much reward with the new ball, beating the bat often but not finding the edges. Archer and Stokes were the standout performers while Dawson, on his comeback, plugged away nicely with his accurate left-arm spin. But overall, the hosts allowed India to wrestle momentum back. They'll hope for a fresh start with the second new ball, for which they will be keen to take first in the morning. The seamers have a

India, meanwhile, will be quietly pleased with their performance with the bat. They came in under testing skies and put on 264 for 4 by stumps on Day 1, or effectively, 264/5. The concern now, of course, is Pant, who underwent scans that revealed a fracture, and he is set to miss the remainder of the series, according to the sources. Will he return to bat? That only depends on what the medical team conveys to Indian management, as he is surely not going to keep wickets. Another important questi

So, how did Day 1 unfold? It was a tale of three sessions and changing fortunes. India won the morning with grit and control, thanks to a stoic opening stand between Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul. The post-lunch period belonged to England, who hit back hard and took three key wickets. The third session, though, swung back towards India as Sai Sudharsan and Rishabh Pant counter-attacked. But just when things looked settled, Pant went down injured while playing a reverse sweep, and had to reti

Hello and welcome to all of you! It's Day 2 of the fourth Test between England and India ​​​​​​from Manchester, and we’re all set for what promises to be another absorbing day of red-ball cricket. Both teams have fought hard in this series, and this Test could well decide the momentum heading into the final stretch. England, having chosen to bowl, would feel they missed a trick on Day 1, while India, despite not having any centurions, have held their ground strongly. 

... DAY 2, SESSION 1 ...

264/4 or 264/5? As we type, Rishabh Pant is being taken for scans on his right foot, which had swelled to a significant degree. With Washington Sundar still to bat, highly unlikely that India will rush Pant to come out to bat. He might still come out and play with an injured foot, but only if the need arises. Without a doubt, England will take the second new ball the first thing in the morning. The first hour will be very crucial, as with the pitch already showing signs of inconsistent boun

A disappointing day for England. They might call themselves unlucky with the new ball, as the ball beat the bat numerous times and the edges, when generated, did not carry to the fielders. On another day, Yashasvi Jaiswal would have been dismissed in the first over of the day. But as it panned out, luck favoured the tourists and then, the hosts ran out of patience, bowling too short and wide and literally wasting the new ball. The bowlers tried hard but only Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes looke

A day of 3 sessions and India take the honours 2-1. After being put into bat under testing conditions, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal batted with supreme grit to see off the entire morning session, unseparated with the partnership score of 78. Then came England's counter-punching act, as they reduced the visitors from 94/0 to 140/3, breaking through that top order. They could have had another, but Jamie Smith put down a fairly simple chance of Sai Sudharsan on 20, with the team score at that

Well, Stokes has had enough. It seems like he wanted to take the second new ball but the umpires feel that the light has become very poor and they take the players off the field. In a normal scenario, this would have been play delayed due to bad light but because we are past the official Stumps time, the players won't come back out. STUMPS ON DAY 1, INDIA 264/4!

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Full, around off, flicked straight to short mid-wicket.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, ! HAMMERED! Stokes brought mid on up to tempt Jadeja to go over the top and the latter accepts the challenge.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Full and down the leg side, perhaps a touch slower, Shardul clips it through square leg for a run.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Quicker ball, on middle and leg, Thakur goes back and punches it towards cover.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, No run.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Landed outside off, Ravindra Jadeja punches it to the right of cover and pinches a quick single.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, Around the wicket to the right hander as well, around leg stump, ST defends.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Landed outside off, 90 kph, Ravindra Jadeja cuts it behind square on the off side for another single.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, Short and wide outside off, 79 kph, Shardul mistimes his cut to sweeper cover for one.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, Full, outside off, from over the wicket, Thakur defends.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, A bit of a round-arm action, from around the wicket, fired in on middle and leg, Ravindra Jadeja goes back and works it through square leg for a run.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, Short, outside off, Shardul Thakur rocks back and punches it through the covers for a single.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Full and outside off, watchfully defended.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Very full, outside off, Jadeja employs the sweep now, but cannot get it past Jofra Archer at square leg.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Full, a touch wider outside off, Ravindra Jadeja lunges to keep it out.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Full and around off, Ravindra keeps it out. A maiden for Dawson. Wonder how would Jadeja have felt to see his mirror image bowling to him. Over ends in 2 minutes!

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, No run.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, Quicker one, slipped down the leg side, left alone by Shardul Thakur.

All eyes on Ben Stokes. Does he take the second new ball?

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, No run.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, Flatter one around leg, this time, Thakur opts to pad it away past leg slip.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, No run.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, Oh, just short!

The fourth umpire does come out now, with the light meter. Joe Root has a word with one of the umpires. The reading is noted now. Just a reminder - no light will be offered. It is entirely in the hands of the two umpires. Play goes on for now. Will be interesting to see what will be the decision if England take the second new ball. Joe Root is back on. 3-0-11-0 so far.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, ! Too full and around off, no mid off in place and Shardul Thakur drives it on the full and gets it well to the right of Stokes at silly mid off and finds the fence.

Joe Root to Shardul Thakur, Flatter delivery outside off, goes straight on, Thakur hangs deep and blocks it off.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Full and straight at the stumps now, Jadeja pushes it down to mid on.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Quicker one again and outside off, left alone by RJ.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, No run.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, Floated up around off, on a nagging length and Jadeja blocks it off.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Flighted up, full and around off, stroked away through square covers for a single. 250 is now up for India as well.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Flatter one on middle, this is bowled into the deck and keeps a shade low. Thakur backs away and plays it back to the bowler.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Back of a length and around off, Shardul dabs it down in front of covers and races through for the single.

Has the ploy worked? The umpires are now having a chat regarding the light. Stokes is not happy. For now, play goes on.

Ben Stokes to Ravindra Jadeja, A slight hesitation but comfortable enough for the batters. Hard length at the stumps, tapped across towards mid-wicket for a single by Jadeja.

Ahem. The first sign of anything of this sort in the whole day. It has gotten gloomier but it was like this at the start of the session as well. However, no Indian batter had complained till now. Probably, with the day already into extended time, Jadeja is trying to show some gamesmanship. Maybe, just create that doubt in the minds of the umpires regarding the light and either convince them that is dark enough to go off the field, or, delay the taking of the second new ball. Smart tactic. Nothin

Ben Stokes to Ravindra Jadeja, No run.

Ben Stokes to Ravindra Jadeja, Good length, around the fifth stump line and sliding straight on. Jadeja leaves it alone.

Ben Stokes to Ravindra Jadeja, Wide! Banged in well short and wide outside off, flying over the batter's head and a wide is signalled.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Dug in a bit and over leg stump, Thakur gets inside the line and flicks it off the hips down to fine leg for a single.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Good-length delivery, in the channel, angling in. Thakur taps it towards covers and looks for the single, which is on but Jadeja sends him back.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Well, another single off the last ball and Shardul Thakur is hogging all the strike, it seems. Flighted ball around leg, clipped away in front of mid-wicket for an easy single.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Bowled flatter and on middle, Thakur stays back and punches it towards mid off.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Nice and full on middle and off, Thakur shows the full face of the bat and plays it to mid off.

Wonder the thought process of sending Shardul Thakur ahead of Washington Sundar. One thought could be that with the second new ball still a few overs away, at that time of the dismissal, quick runs could be scored through Thakur's attacking instinct. Additionally, if he survives till the second new ball, he could attack that cherry as well.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, No run.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Very full and on leg, Thakur pushes it down to mid on.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Tossed up, on a length and around off, tapped away towards cover.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Full and straight, a half-punch from Shardul Thakur towards mid on and he sets off for the single. A tired-looking Jofra Archer is slow to react as the batters make it through with ease and Stokes isn't quite pleased with that effort.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Hard length again, angled in from around off but this one holds its line. Thakur blocks it down to covers.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Hard length outside off, zipping through. Thakur has half a push at it but gets beaten past the outside edge.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Full again, around off, looking to swing it away but Thakur leans on and squeezes it away through covers and picks up a couple of runs.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Fuller one, wide outside the off stump, seaming away. Thakur leaves it alone.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, ! That is gorgeous! Back of a length and outside off, fractionally on the shorter side and Shardul Thakur pounces on it. Thakur rocks back and punches it square behind point for a boundary.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Full again, on off, eased away to the left of covers for a quick single by Shardul.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Quite full and on leg, Thakur flicks it straight to mid-wicket.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Flighted up, full and on off, a hint of turn as well. Shardul Thakur watchfully blocks it off.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Flatter delivery on middle, worked away to mid-wicket.

Liam Dawson to Shardul Thakur, Shortish length around off, this one holds in the deck. Thakur tentatively plays it away from the body and to mid off.

Liam Dawson is brought back into the attack now.

Liam Dawson to Ravindra Jadeja, 1 run.

Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur, Back of a length and over off, Shardul Thakur hops back to defend. End of a icket-maiden over from Stokesy!

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, !CAUGHT! Would you believe it? Midas has done it again!

Shardul Thakur walks out to bat next.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Back of a length and around off, Sudharsan presses back to defend.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, On a fuller length and angling back in towards the stumps, Sudharsan blocks it with a straight bat.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Hard length around off, punched away gently towards cover.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Back of a length and around off, Sudharsan allows the ball to come towards him before nudging it down beside the deck on the off side.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Bowled into the pitch and this one holds in the deck. Jadeja goes on the back foot and turns it to mid-wicket.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Fired in full and around off, Jadeja jams it out to the right of the bowler.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, No run.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, ! Picked-up and dispatched!

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Flighted, on off, blocked off by Jadeja.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Floated up around off, Jadeja gets well forward and blocks it off.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Pitched up in the channel outside off, zipping through, Sudharsan plays inside the line of this one.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, ! Lovely shot! Back of a length and outside off, not that much width on offer. Sai Sudharsan hops up on his toes and punches it down just behind point and picks up a boundary.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Full again, on the pads, Sudharsan leans on and clips it away sweetly through mid-wicket for a couple of runs.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Full of a good length, on off, Sudharsan dead-bats it back to the bowler.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Goes full and angles it down leg, a deliberate tactic used by Stokes to Sudharsan, who misses the flick.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Back of a length and on a tight line around off, Sudharsan looks to tap it away behind point but almost gets chopped on as the ball takes the bottom edge and rolls past the off stump towards the keeper.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Oh, that wasn't far away! Attempted arm-ball, bowled around off, Jadeja puts a stride in and decides to leave and the ball holds its line, just going past the off stump.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Tossed up, full and outside off, Jadeja comes forward and pats it down to mid off.

Joe Root to Sai Sudharsan, Full and straight, flicked away past square leg for a single.

Joe Root to Sai Sudharsan, Nicely flighted, on off, Sudharsan bunts it out to the right of cover and looks for the single but Jadeja sends him back.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Flatter one, angled into middle and leg, tucked away from inside the crease through mid-wicket for one.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, No run.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Pitched up around off, angling in, Sudharsan solidly blocks it off.

Ben Stokes to Ravindra Jadeja, Hard length again, over off, Jadeja tucks it to the left of mid-wicket and picks up a quick single.

Ben Stokes to Ravindra Jadeja, Just back of a length and angled into the batter, Jadeja fails to work it away.

Ben Stokes to Ravindra Jadeja, ! Edged but well controlled by Jadeja! Hard length in the channel, nibbling away off the deck. Ravindra Jadeja is taken aback by the extra bounce and jars at it but gets an outside edge that goes down and through the vacant third slip region for a boundary.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, A bit fuller and slanted into the pads, Sudharsan clips it away in front of square leg for a single.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Stokes begins the new spell from around the stumps. Bowls it on a good length around off, Sudharsan stays back ad keeps it down towards gully.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, Nicely flighted, in and around off, Jadeja lunges and blocks it into the off side.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, No run.

Joe Root to Ravindra Jadeja, No run.

Joe Root to Sai Sudharsan, At the stumps, shovelled away through mid-wicket for a single.

Joe Root to Sai Sudharsan, ! Smashed through the off side and that will be a MAIDEN TEST FIFTY for Sai Sudharsan! Lobbed up wide of the off stump, Sudharsan lines it up and leans on to cream the cover drive through the gap and for a boundary. A very fine knock on his return from Sai.

Joe Root to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Chris Woakes to Ravindra Jadeja, Full again, dished out wide outside off, left alone by Jadeja once again.

Chris Woakes to Ravindra Jadeja, Fuller in length, angled well across off, Ravindra Jadeja lets it through to the keeper.

DRINKS BREAK! Right then, as Rishabh Pant calls for the physio, the umpires also decide that it is time for drinks. We have an hour and fifteen minutes worth of play in this final session and India have written off the blemishes of the second session and are looking in a strong position. Sai Sudharsan is just a couple of runs away from what could be his maiden Test fifty and Rishabh Pant is playing in the most Rishabh Pant way possible. He might have injured himself here with an outlandish s

Ouch! Rishabh Pant is looking in some discomfort and is unable to continue. A blow to the batting team as Rishabh Pant is retired hurt.

Chris Woakes to Rishabh Pant, Huge appeal for LBW, not given. Did that pitch outside leg? Did Pant hit it? England take the review. Oh dear. This might turn out to be a bad review. The impact itself seems to be outside off. Forget that, UltraEdge detects a spike when the ball is near the bat. Review lost. Coming to the ball, Pant looked to play the reverse sweep a bit early and seeing that, Woakes fires a pretty full ball. Pant looks to play the shot but misses and is hit on the pads. Woa

Chris Woakes to Rishabh Pant, No run.

Chris Woakes to Rishabh Pant, No run.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Brilliant fielding by Zak Crawley.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Four!

Excellent effort from Zak Crawley! But has he done enough? This is referred upstairs. Yes, confirms the third umpire.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, From over the wicket now, landed outside off, Rishabh hangs back to defend.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Jumps down the track but is not quite to the pitch of the ball. Is forced to defend.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Full, outside off, Pant leans and drives it through the covers for a couple. Moves to 31 (41).

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, From around the wicket, on middle and leg, fuller in length, Rishabh Pant lunges to defend.

Jonathan Trott on air has spotted some reverse swing. If it indeed is the case, expect Stokes to jump in soon.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, From around the wicket, on a fuller length, watchfully defended.

Chris Woakes to Rishabh Pant, On a length, down the leg side, Rishabh Pant walks across and tucks it through mid-wicket for a run.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Down the leg side, SS tucks it to the left of mid on for a single.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Full and straight, 132 kph, Sai drives it straight back to the bowler who mimes a throw back.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Full and slightly wider outside off, moving further away, a confident leave this time from Sudharsan.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, just around middle, angling away, Sai Sudharsan lunges to defend but the ball seams past the outside edge.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Shortish and down the leg side again, Sudharsan pushes it through mid-wicket for another single.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, 200 UP FOR INDIA! Excellent recovery after losing their way in the second session. Full and down the leg side, Rishabh tucks it through mid-wicket for one more. This stand is now worth 60.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Down the leg side, Rishabh tucks it through square leg for a single.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Around off, Pant leans to block again.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Full, around middle and leg, Rishabh Pant lunges to defend.

Well, England get one wish at least. They finally bowl their first maiden post Tea! Just the 8 maidens through the day but this final session has been pretty much ordinary from them.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Full, around off, watchfully defended.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, outside off, SS shoulders arms.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Thrown up, wide outside off, Sai goes hard on the drive and slices it towards backward point.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Full and straight, well blocked out.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, On middle and off, Sudharsan walks into the shot and defends.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Full, outside off, Sai Sudharsan pushes at it but the ball moves away and beats the outside edge.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Full and around off, pushed towards cover.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Quicker once again, 86 kph, SS goes back and works it through mid-wicket for a run.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Flighted delivery now, 84 kph, Sai comes forward and defends.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Full and just outside off, Sai Sudharsan lunges to defend.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Landed outside off, 86 kph, fractionally short, Rishabh Pant stays back and punches it through the covers for a single.

Double change? Yes. This could be either because of the ball doing nothing, or because of the fading light. Or simply because Stokes wants to take a gamble. Brings back Liam Dawson. 7-0-21-1 so far.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, around off, 131 kph, Sai drops it down near his feet.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Full, outside off, hint of away movement, Sudharsan keeps his bat behind his pad as he plays inside the line.

Chris Woakes to Rishabh Pant, Full, from over the wicket, down the leg side, Rishabh Pant works it towards deep mid-wicket for a run.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Down the leg side, Sai clips it wide of mid on, to his left, for a single.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Back of a length, outside off, Sudharsan goes for the cut but gets cramped for room and there is a bottom edge eked towards point.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, 2 runs.

So that's 1005 runs in England in Test cricket right now, for Pant.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Landed outside off, Pant tries to guide it through the packed slip cordon but only gets a bottom edge.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, No ball!

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Down the leg side, nudged through square leg for a single.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, ! FETCH THAT! 1000 TEST RUNS IN ENGLAND FOR PANT and he brings up in typical Pant style!

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Down the leg side, Rishabh Pant nudges it towards short mid-wicket.

Things happening after Tea. Not for England. ​​​For ​India. 33 runs have come in 8 overs since the break and curiously, we have seen just 3 boundaries off the bat.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, No run.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, outside off, Sai goes back and dabs it towards the slip cordon.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, A wild short ball, down the leg side, Sudharsan has nothing to do with it and gets out of harm's way, Poor keeper Jamie Smith has to dive full stretch to his right to stop that.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, Full, outside off, Pant pushes it towards cover for one.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Slightly overdoing the leg side tactic, are England. Sai Sudharsan is pretty much aware of that and is trying his level best to avoid falling over to the off side. Flicks this through mid-wicket for a run.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, 1 run.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, Did that hit the bat? Yes, it did.

As expected, the stands have now become jam packed. The first session was fairly empty, the second started to see people filling in and now, this looks like a blockbuster. The only shame is that, with the light fading so quickly, we hope that the crowd is not kept devoid of action.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, outside off, Sai pushes it towards point.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Outside off, pushed towards point now.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, LEG BYES! England are trying to get Sudharsan caught down the leg side. Full and straight, from around the wicket, Sudharsan misses his clip but the ball hits his front pad and races to the fine leg fence. Carse starts to appeal but then bails out, keeping the height and angle in mind.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, outside off, Sai Sudharsan rises with the bounce and pushes it towards point.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Fuller this time, around middle, Pant just brings his bat down, arguably to defend and the ball runs off the face of the bat through mid-wicket. A single taken.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, No run.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, A bouncer, down the leg side, let through. 10 from the over, Jofra Archer's bowling figures read 15-2-41-0.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, And now, Pant tries the reverse paddle but misses it completely. The ball hits him on his arm and drops down on the off side. A leg bye taken.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, ! FEROCIOUS! Now, this is getting real bad.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, WIDE. Just too short, goes way above the batter. Pant gets out of harm's way while the keeper, Jamie Smith, has to leap full stretch to stop that. Can just get one glove on it, but manages to stop it.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, On middle and leg, nudged through mid-wicket for another single. That's 4 runs off the first three balls of this over, without any risk.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, A bit too straight, Sai Sudharsan clips it behind square leg for a couple.

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, Down the leg side, helped through mid-wicket for a single.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Outside off, bunted towards point.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, around middle and off, steep bounce, Sudharsan rises with the ball and fends it down.

Time for a chat again. And this one is more animated than the last one. These two have been taking the quick singles but the calling has been way off so far. Pant is just sorting it out.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Miscommunication again! Full, on middle, Sai Sudharsan looks to work it to the leg side but the ball holds up on the pitch a little and comes in late. The leading edge is induced and the ball goes down the ground. 

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Full and straight, 135 kph, Rishabh pushes it towards point and calls for a quick single, making it with ease.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, A touch short now, 132 kph, outside off, barely comes off the surface. Pant looks to cut but mistimes it towards cover.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Full and straight, angling in, Rishabh Pant defends it awakwardly.

Ricky Ponting on air calls out loud for some variation.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, On a fuller length, a touch wider outside off, SS goes back and shoulders arms.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, A bouncer, on middle and leg, Sai ducks under it.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Full, around off, pushed to the off side.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, ! CREAMED! Taking it on, is Sai and growing in confidence as well.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Around middle and leg, Sudharsan pushes it towards mid on.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, On a fuller length, outside off, 135 kph, angling in, from around the wicket, Sai Sudharsan comes forward to defend but the ball pitches and then curls away late to beat the outside edge. For the first time in the day, Archer's looking frustrated.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Hard length outside off, Pant eases it down to the point region.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Fractioanlly short over middle, Sai Sudharsan hangs back and swipes the pull in front of square leg for a single in the deep.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Just a little hesitation from the non-striker but the batters make it through.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Much better from Pant! A touch fuller and outside off, Rishabh Pant leans on this time and strokes it through the cover region for a couple of runs as Ben Stokes chases the ball down.

Not good signs for England. Not good signs for any cricket fan. It has suddenly got gloomier and darker. On that boundary on 53.2, Brydon Carse simply did not pick the ball. 

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Beaten!

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Back of a length, angled in towards the hips, Sai gets inside the line and drops it in front of short leg.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Hard length over the stumps, pushed down towards mid on.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Even shorter now and around off again, trying to angle it in. Sudharsan sits down and ducks well under the ball.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, ! Takes it on, does Sai and gets the boundary. Banged in short and at the batter, Sai Sudharsan goes for the hook and gets it over backward square leg. Brydon Carse who is at fine leg, picks it up really late but in all likeliness, he wouldn't have reached it even if he had picked it up sooner. A boundary to Sudharsan.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Another short ball, around off and zipping through. Sudharsan sways away from the line of the delivery. 

Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant, A quick short ball over middle, Rishabh Pant gets inside the line and angles the pull down to fine leg, lifting one leg up and collects a single. That was awkwardly done but nothing new for Pant.

Stokes or Archer? The latter. 12-2-23-0 so far for Jofra Archer. An interesting contest awaits between Archer and Pant and the winner of this contest might very well decide this opening day.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Shorter in length and outside off, Sudharsan hangs back and gets up on his toes before dabbing the ball down wide of the slip cordon.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Another bumper, 134 kph and around off, Sudharsan comfortably leans back and sways away from the line of the bal.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Back of a length and in the channel, this one stays a bit low. Sudharsan is taken aback and jams the bat down in time to dab the ball towards short third. 

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Dug in short and around off, Sai Sudharsan keeps his hands down and leans back to let the ball pass through to the keeper.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Back of a length and around off, Pant taps the ball down in front of covers and picks up a quick single. The 150 is up for India as well.

Brydon Carse to Rishabh Pant, Oh, aggression from Pant right after the break!

Welcome back. 38 overs left in the day. Potentially, we see around 30 of those being completed tonight. An Indian fightback will see the visitors top the day after a fine start. On the other hand, if England continue to build on their momentum, one could see another cracker of a session. The players are back on the field and it will be Brydon Carse to kick things off post Tea. 11-1-44-0 so far. Rishabh Pant to face. Let's go again!

... DAY 1, FINAL SESSION ...

While everything has seemingly gone in England's favour in that session, there was one small blemish. Jamie Smith put down a fairly simple chance of Sai Sudharsan on 20, off Ben Stokes' bowling and had that been taken, the hosts would have been firmly on top. Maybe, that could be the luck that Sudharsan needs, to kickstart what could be a big Test career. Does anyone remember Marvan Atapattu? Strangely, in that session, the Dukes ball swung more than in the first session. The hosts will hope t

Right then, 94/0 has become 149/3 at Tea and the final session on Day 1 could yet see plenty more ebbs and flows. India have two left-handers at the crease and there are two more left-handers to follow. Jofra Archer has a brilliant record against the southpaws and if he gets one wicket early in the session, he can go on a bit of a streak. Plenty of action to look forward to, so stick around as the post-Tea session is up next.

As for England, Jofra Archer didn't get into any sort of a rhythm in that second session but Liam Dawson did manage to take his County form and replicate it in a big way by getting rid of Jaiswal. Ben Stokes yet again took up the mantle to bowl at a crucial juncture and got the better of his opposite number, Shubman Gill, a wicket that might have propelled the hosts into a position of real promise. Gill, on the other hand, will be highly disappointed with the way he got out and India will ha

The first 15-20 mins after Lunch were more or less a replica of the first session but then came the breakthrough for England as Chris Woakes picked up his 36th wicket at Old Trafford in Tests by dismissing KL Rahul. Yashasvi Jaiswal continued to persevere and brought up a gritty half century as Sai Sudharsan looked determined to get his eye in and left plenty of deliveries, going against his natural instincts, which did work but has also resulted in a very sluggish knock, one that is still b

End of an intriguing afternoon session on Day 1 here at Old Trafford and England have staged a very fine comeback after seemingly being under the pump in that first session. As many as 3 wickets fell in the session as India could muster up just 71 runs in 26 overs, setting up a crucial session post the Tea break.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Safely negotiated! Short of a length and directed towards the rib cage. Sai Sudharsan stays back and manages to dab it down behind the short leg fielder. THAT WILL BE TEA ON DAY 1!

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, A bumper now, over middle and attacking the batter but ai does well to duck under it.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Nagging length on off, 139 kph and straightens a bit. Sudharsan stays back to block but gets an outside edge that goes down towards gully.

Time for a chat.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Slightly fuller and darted in towards middle, Rishabh Pant jabs it across to square leg. The batters look for the single but there is a bit of miscommunication before the batters eventually scrape through for a single.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, Full and angled well down the leg side, Pant fails to flick it away. Stokes is a bit frustrated with that delivery.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Banged in short and over middle, Sudharsan pulls it away down to long leg for a single.

That super quick over from Dawson means that Ben Stokes can have one more go before Tea.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, On a dragged length around the top of off, Pant lazily presses back and pushes it towards cover.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, No run.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, On the shorter side again, around middle, Sai Sudharsan hangs back and wristily flicks it away in front of deep mid-wicket. The batters look for two but will have to settle with just a single.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Bowled into the pitch, on off, and Pant just shovels it across through mid-wicket for a single.

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, Shorter one, 90 kph and angled in from outside off. Pant hangs back and taps it into the off side.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Fighting fire with fire!

Liam Dawson to Rishabh Pant, No run.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Four!

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, outside off, Sai Sudharsan defends it to the leg side.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, A bouncer, around off, easily ducked under.

Ben Stokes to Rishabh Pant, 1 run.

Rishabh Pant walks in next, at number 5, replacing his skipper, Shubman Gill.

Ben Stokes to Shubman Gill, ! LBW! Midas does it again! Massive misjudgement from the Indian captain as the English captain dismisses him, on just the third ball of their battle, much to the cheer of the crowd.

Close, close, close! And given by Rod Tucker! Took his own time and then raised his finger. Gill has challenged the decision.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Landed around off, 86 kph, defended to the leg side.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Over the wicket to the left hander, with a slip and leg slip in place, full and outside off, Sai Sudharsan clips it towards short mid-wicket.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, The arm ball, 91 kph, short of full, SG goes back and works it through mid-wicket for a single.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, Full and just around off, 88 kph, Shubman keeps it out.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, Similar ball, Gill defends again.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, No run.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, around middle and off, Sai defends it to the leg side. Eventful over.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, ! My word, almost a repeat of Sudharsan's dismissal in the first Test, by the same bowler! My my my, with Tea around the corner! A harmless delivery, full and down the leg side, Sai Sudharsan looks to flick but only manages an inside edge. The ball flies behind and the keeper, Jamie Smith gets to the ball to his right as well, but the ball probably wobbles a touch and he fumbles, eventually putting the ball down! How costly will this prove for the home

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, WIDE. A bouncer attempted from Stokes, a rare change from the plan in this session, but it is banged in his half and goes way above the batter.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Another bouncer, this one does not bounce as much as the previous one, Sudharsan ducks.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, outside off, from around the wicket, 139 kph, Sai Sudharsan defends.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, ! JUST OVER! Gill has shown his intentions to take the left-arm spinner on and he is not going to back away one bit. Flighted, around middle and off, the skipper dances down the track to go down the ground but is not quite to the pitch of the ball. Mistimes it over mid on, where Ben Stokes leaps to his left but the ball just eludes his reach and races to the long on fence. Gill smiles but his heart would have been in his mouth for a moment.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, Similar ball, around off, 89 kph, Shubman drives it towards cover.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, Silly point comes in for this ball. Gill lunges to block.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, No run.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, A touch short, outside off, 90 kph, Sudharsan goes back and whips it through mid-wicket for a single.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Landed outside off, Sai Sudharsan stays back to defend.

Ben Stokes to Shubman Gill, Full and wide outside off, Gill shoulders arms.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, A bit too straight now, Sai tucks it straight to square leg.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, Fuller this time, around off, Sudharsan pushes it towards mid off.

Ben Stokes to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Ben Stokes to Shubman Gill, Ahhh.. fire is met with ice!

Talking more about Jaiswal, especially about his dismissal, perhaps there was a bit of drift on that delivery.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Full again, around middle, hit away straight to mid on.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Tossed up, quite full and outside off, Sai Sudharsan looks to replicate the shot from a couple of balls earlier and flicks the wrists to drive but doesn't get it past Ben Stokes at mid off.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Nagging length, bowled on off and darting back in, Sudharsan goes onto the back foot and clips it into the leg side.

Interesting. Yashasvi Jaiswal has become just the first Indian opener in 50 years to register a 50-plus score at Old Trafford! 

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Four!

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, 1 run.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, No run.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Just full of a good length and around the fourth stump line, Sudharsan neither gets forward nor does he rock back and pushes at it. Gets an outside edge down towards the slip cordon.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Back of a length and angled in at the ribs, Sudharsan gets up on his toes and taps it across in front of mid-wicket.

Jofra Archer to Shubman Gill, On a good length around middle, attacking the pads, Gill nudges it away through square leg and picks up a single.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Lovely batting. Full, just around off, Sudharsan shows the perfect face of the bat and just blocks it down the pitch. It is past the bowler and there is no mid off, so by the time cover can get across to cut the ball off, a single is taken.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Similar ball, on a slightly wider line, pushed towards gully again.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, outside off, from around the wicket, Sai Sudharsan rides the bounce and dabs it to gully.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, Very uncharacteristic of Shubman Gill, a wild hack to the leg side! Darted in full and on leg stump, Gill sits down and looks to slog it behind square leg but gets an inside edge past leg slip. The ball rolls down towards fine leg where it is cut off and Gill picks up a couple of runs.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, Around middle, this one is angled into the batter, Gill defends it down the line with ease.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, Tossed up, around off and middle, Gill lunges and makes another block.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, Landed just around off, Gill is watchful in defense.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, No run.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, No run.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Hard length around off, brings the line closer to the off stump, Sudharsan covers the line and blocks it off.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Good length outside off, seaming away, Sudharsan leaves it alone.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Sai is very eager to pinch the quick single here but he isn't getting his wish.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, From around the wicket, on a good length, slightly wider outside off, Sai Sudharsan lets it pass.

Jofra Archer to Shubman Gill, Great effort by Midas. Overpitched, outside off, Shubman Gill gets a good stride and drives it to the left of mid off. Ben Stokes throws himself to his left and makes a half stop, keeping the batters to a single.

Jofra Archer to Shubman Gill, A full toss, outside off, probably surprised even Gill, as he just patted it towards cover.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, Fired in at the stumps, at 97 kph and Sai simply blocks it off yet again. Just a single and a big wicket off that over for Dawson.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Liam Dawson to Shubman Gill, 1 run.

Skipper Shubman Gill walks in next, at number 4, replacing Yashasvi Jaiswal. Massive boos around the ground as Gill strides out.

Liam Dawson to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! EDGED AND TAKEN! A left-arm spinner dismisses a left-arm batter and after 8 years, Liam Dawson takes a wicket in a Test match!

Gill's complaint taken seriously? Jokes apart, it does seem that something has been discussed over the sledging episode in the third Test. Despite India batting so well and so patiently, there has been absolutely no instance of sledging. Good sportsmanship.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, A bumper to end the over and a maiden for Jofra Archer. Dug in short at 133 kph and right over middle, Sudharsan moves his head away from the line of the ball by leaning back yet again.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Good length on the pads, turned away to mid-wicket for another dot ball.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, A bumper now, over off stump and angling in towards the batter, Sudharsan leans back to sway away from the line of the ball.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Relatively full and straight, 139 kph, Sudharsan leans on and defends it off.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Hard length again and around off, tapped straight down to point and again, Sudharsan wants a single but Jaiswal isn't interested.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, No run there! Hard length over off, cutting back in. Sai stays back and dabs it into the off side and walks down the pitch for a single but Jaiswal sends him back quickly. Ben Stokes was quick to attack the ball, sharing in front covers.

DRINKS BREAK. Are there two Ravindra Jadejas playing in this game? How quick was that last over from Dawson? After yet another slap from the ICC for poor over rate in the previous Test, Dawson might just help England improve in that department at least. Though ideally, it would be better if he brings his domestic experience into play and helps them in the wickets' department. Having said that, the bowling from the hosts has been improved post Lunch and that has resulted in Rahul's wicket. Contra

Liam Dawson to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nagging length on off and middle, Jaiswal camps on the back foot and keeps it out.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.

Liam Dawson to Yashasvi Jaiswal, 1 run.

Liam Dawson to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Oh, an outside edge! Gives this one a bit more flight and bowls it full and around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal looks to block but gets an outside edge that goes down and wide of the first slip. The ball rolls towards deep third as the batters pick up a couple of runs.

Liam Dawson to Yashasvi Jaiswal, A bit fuller and around off, 91 kph, Jaiswal leans on and squeezes it towards short third.

Double bowling change? Perhaps it is time for Stokesy? Interesting. It is a double bowling change, but it is not the skipper. The ball is thrown to Liam Dawson instead.

Liam Dawson to Sai Sudharsan, 1 run.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Excellent running!

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Good-length delivery, angled in towards middle and just holds its line, Sudharsan blocks it off the outer half of the blade and into the off side.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Full of a good length, attacking off stump at 138 kph, Sudharsan solidly defends it off.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, ! Too straight and put away! Fuller in length, on middle and leg, Sai Sudharsan plays a stylish flick, through square leg and the ball has enough legs on it to reach the fence this time.

Jofra Archer to Sai Sudharsan, Starts from around the wicket and angles a length ball down the leg side. Sudharsan misses the flick as the ball goes through to the keeper.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, A snorter from Carse as he switches back to around the stumps. This is bowled quick and short over the stumps, just nibbling away and YJ has to lean back and sway away from the line of the ball.

Will be interesting to see how long before we see a bowling change.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, That's gone through but doesn't have the legs to reach the fence. Carse comes over the wicket now with a leg slip in place and delivers a full toss on leg stump. Sai Sudharsan punches it firmly to the left of mid on where the fielder dives over the ball. The baters pick up three runs as that same fielder chases the ball down after getting up.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Carse keeps hammering that length and keeps bowling it around off, Sudharsan blocks it in front of covers this time.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Good length again and around the fourth stump line, Sudharsan prods halfway and defends it just behind point.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Good length in the channel, just a hint of seam movement into the left-hander. Sai shoulders arms.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, A well-directed bumper, around off and slanting in, Sudharsan leans all the way back and sways away from the line of the ball.

Another achivement for Jaiswal.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Just back of a length on off, angling back in, Jaiswal jams it out to the bowler.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! Nice and straight! Overpitched, around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal gets a good stride in and punches it down the ground, to the left of mid off and for a boundary. YJ brings up 1000 runs against England!

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Hard length, angled well down the leg side. Jaiswal leaves it alone and Jamie Smith does well to dive to his right and pouch it with both hands.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Fuller delivery around off, Jaiswal gets forward to drive on the up but hits it straight to mid off.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Good length, slanted onto middle, Sai Sudharsan clips it away in front of mid-wicket and scampers through for a quick single.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Length, on the pads, Jaiswal gets inside the line and tucks it down to long leg for a single.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Miles outside off, left alone.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, Full and straight, defended back down the pitch.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Brydon Carse to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, 12TH HALF CENTURY FOR YASHASVI JAISWAL! What a terrific knock under pressure.

With that wicket of Rahul, Woakes now has 36 wickets in Tests at this venue. He has 36 wickets at only one other venue - Lord's. One more and Old Trafford would become the new happy hunting ground for the lord of Lord's.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Landed outside off, solidly defended.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Full and wide outside off, Sai Sudharsan comes forward and keeps his bat inside the line yet again.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length, wider outside off, SS keeps his bat inside the line.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Off the mark, is the lad from Chennai. A bit too straight from Woakes, on the pads, Sai clips it through mid-wicket and takes a couple to get his score rolling. 100 IS UP FOR INDIA AS WELL.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Landed just outside off, Sudharsan lunges to defend it to the off side.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Full, outside off, Sai Sudharsan lunges and lets the ball go past.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nearly! Full, outside off, YJ gets a full stride to defend but the ball pitches and whizzes past the outside edge!

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, outside off, Jaiswal looks to tap and run towards point but changes his mind.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full, outside off, swinging away late, left alone for the keeper.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Just around off, solidly defended towards cover.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! The sequence of dots is broken. First run after 15 balls. Just seems too many in this age, right? On a good length, outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal rises with the bounce and dabs it to the left of gully, for a boundary towards deep third. Moves to 49 with his 9th four.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, a touch wide outside off, left alone.

The sun was out for a brief moment.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Short of full, outside off, shouldered arms to. Consecutive maidens.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Landed outside off, left alone this time.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, No run.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, That seemed like an afterthought. Or an indecision. Wide outside off, on a good length, one felt that Sudharsan was initially thinking to let it go before choosing to defend. Did so with an open bat face and got it off the bottom of the bat towards gully.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, Fuller, outside off, left alone again.

Chris Woakes to Sai Sudharsan, On a good length but way outside off, Sai Sudharsan pulls his bat away from the line.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Short and outside off, Yashasvi pushes but misses. First maiden for Carse.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, That came a million miles from outside off, Jaiswal was in no place to play this as he could even defend the ball. Pitched on a good length, outside off, he looked to defend or punch but even before the bat could come down, the ball zipped back in a long way and hit his pads. LBW shouts all around but that was going down leg.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full and straight, well blocked out this time.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Excellent bowling. Just short of full, outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal comes forward, not entirely sure whether to play or leave and pokes half-heartedly at it. Gets beaten.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Back of a length, outside off, blocked down.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Sai Sudharsan walks in next at number 3, replacing KL Rahul.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, ! EDGED AND TAKEN! Would you believe it? Just out of nowhere, with seemingly nothing much happening, England get a wicket! On a length, outside off, KL Rahul looks to punch it down the ground but just like three balls ago, there is a bit of late away movement on the ball. As a result, Rahul is not quite able to control his shot and the ball flies off the outside edge, straight to Zak Crawley at third slip! 

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Landed outside off, defended solidly by the batter towards the off side.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, The sun peeks out and that makes it sound even better for Indian fans. A bit too straight from Woakes, Rahul clips it behind square leg for a couple.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Landed outside off, perhaps a bit short, moving away, there to cut, KL looks to cut but the ball moves away late and beats him.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Full and just outside off, Rahul defends solidly.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, KL Rahul gets across and lets the ball go.

7 out of Rahul's 9 away Test centuries have come in the SENA nations, which is the joint most for any Indian batter since KL Rahul's Test debut in December 2014.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Down the leg side, helped towards deep square leg for a single.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, seaming away, KL Rahul shoulders arms.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full and straight, 140 kph, Yashasvi gets across and tickles it towards long leg for a single.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Around off, pushed to the off side.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! Not learning and will not go unpunished. After escaping on the previous ball, Carse bowls it short again. This time, Jaiswal punches it to the left of the point fielder and finds the boundary. Overtakes Rahul and moves to 44! The stand moves to 90.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Lucky to have got away there, Carse.

Just before the resumption of play post Lunch, Yashasvi Jaiswal was seen having some throwdowns. Virat Kohli and Brian Lara were some of the greats who used to do this, before resumption after every break. Just to get used to the light and conditions.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Full and straight, KL defends.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Around middle and off, Rahul works it towards mid-wicket.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, No run.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, A touch short, outside off, sliced through point but straight to the fielder.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, A touch short, around middle, Rahul works this through square leg for a couple.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Full, outside off, driven towards point.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full and straight, 136 kph, solidly defended by YJ. Seems like Carse will have to rebowl this one as the third umpire has indicated to the onfield umpire that he has overstepped. NO BALL signalled and the replay shows that Carse just about stretched the line.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! The extra ball costs England!

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full and straight, 136 kph, solidly defended by YJ.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Banged in on a good length, outside off, 135 kph, Yashasvi defends.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Fuller, wider outside off, 133 kph, Jaiswal drives square of the wicket but finds point.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, A half volley now, on middle and leg, Rahul flicks it towards deepish square leg for a single, to get the session rolling. 

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Full and straight, KL Rahul pushes it towards mid on.

The players and umpires make their way out to the middle.

Not far from the resumption of play. Along with the crowd, there has been an increase in the clouds in the heavens above, which has just added a bit of murkiness to the surroundings. But they don't see too threatening to start precipitating. Well, if they are biased, they might start to precipitate, especially if England don't pick up wickets soon. Throughout this series, once the Dukes ball has gone past 30 overs, it has gone softer and batting has significantly become a lot easier. That means,

... DAY 1, SESSION 2 ...

Lazy? Not caring enough? These are some of the words used by former English fast bowler Katherine Sciver-Brunt, and also the wife of current skipper, Nat Sciver-Brunt. These have come on the back of a dual home series defeat against India Women, in first, the T20Is and later, the ODIs. As per Kat, it is not the defeat but the manner of the defeat which is hurting England fans. She feels that the players are lacking good attitude and discipline and that is primarily seen through their fielding la

Some news on Karun Nair. He has been left out of this game, but there is some good news for him. He has been granted the NOC from the Vidarbha Cricket Association, to return to his home state, Karnataka, for the 2025-26 domestic season. Having represented Vidarbha for the past two seasons, Nair found a lot of success in both the red and white-ball formats, eventually helping Vidarbha to their third Ranji Trophy earlier this year. 863 runs in 16 innings with four centuries at 53.93 was good eno

Is this now a good toss to lose? Or is it just down to the execution of the two teams? While England can be deemed guilty of not being full enough and India can be credited for not throwing their wickets away, one will do well to remember that there were quite a few balls which did not carry at a good height to the cordon behind. In fact, in the very first over itself, Jaiswal had edged one, only to see it fall well short of Zak Crawley at third slip. This second session could be a very importa

England will certainly be a bit discontent as they started well, bowling the right lengths and we even saw a few edges from the Indian batters. However, the lengths started to become more on the shorter side and Brydon Carse simply couldn't follow up the good work done by the likes of Woakes and Archer. Every now and then, there were deliveries that looked to be troubling the bowlers, but we didn't see enough of those. Ben Stokes will certainly have a chat with his bowlers in the break and wo

India's score reads 78/0 in 26 overs and the scoring rate is exactly 3 runs per over but for a large part of the session, the scoring rate was sluggish and that was a given as there was actual help for the pacers, both in the air and off the deck. Yashasvi Jaiswal managed to curtail his instincts and has now given himself a platform from where he can do serious damage and quickly too. KL Rahul, on the other hand, has carried his confidence from the previous games to Old Trafford and he's been

A session that has belonged to India and Shubman Gill will be over the moon with how his openers have played. Given the contrast between the overhead conditions and the actual pitch, it was a good toss to lose for India and England simply haven't managed a breakthrough, even after bowling some immaculate deliveries.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, On a good length, around off, 138 kph, KL Rahul nudges it through square leg for a single and will start the next session. LUNCH ON DAY 1, INDIA 78/0!

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, A meaningless bouncer, way down the leg side, KLR ducks.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, angling away, KL pushes it towards gully.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Full and straight again, 141 kph, Rahul pushes it to the off side.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Full and straight, 140 kph, KL Rahul defends.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, down the leg side, 138 kph, Yashasvi Jaiswal tucks it through mid-wicket for a single, with the bowler himself running after the ball. England would not want Archer to do too much of running to field the ball. He is much better off steaming in with the ball in hand.

KL has been a silent force for India outside home conditions, scoring 9 out of his 10 Test hundreds away from home, including 70 percent of his career runs.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Another bumper, at the batter and rising up late. Jaiswal awkwardly fends it down into the off side and scampers through for a single.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! Yashasvi Jaiswal is growing in confidence with every passing over now. Banged in short and outside off, Jaiswal hops up on his toes and uppercuts the ball over deep third for a biggie.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Very full and straight, gets the yorker in. Yashasvi Jaiswal is hanging back and manages to jam his bat down in time.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Fuller, just around off, 136 kph, Jaiswal defends solidly.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Short of full and just outside off, 134 kph, Yashasvi Jaiswal stays back to defend.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, angling in, KL Rahul tucks it towards fine leg for a single.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Good length on middle and leg, confidently blocked to mid on.

Rahul now has 4 Test centuries in England – the most by an Indian opener; no one else has more than 2.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! Yashasvi Jaiswal taking evasive action here and somehow, he's found a boundary as well, adding to Archer's frustration.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, BEAUTY! Just full of a good length, on off and this one carries on with the angle but not too much. Yashasvi Jaiswal looks to defend but is beaten past the outside edge.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, KL pushes it in front of cover and with calls of 'YES! YES! EK HAI! EK HAI! AAJA!', calls Jaiswal through for a quick single.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Similar length, 136 kph, this one bounces normally. Rahul pushes it towards point.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, That is a brute. Out of nowhere. On a good length, outside off, KL Rahul looks to defend but the ball pitches and suddenly shoots up, going past the outside edge.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! Smacked away! A fraction too short and outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal hangs back and backs away before cutting it hard and well behind point for a crisp boundary.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Fuller now, angling it in towards the middle stump, Jaiswal jams it back out towards the bowler.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Length ball on off and middle, straightening down the line, Jaiswal covers the line and blocks it off.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Fuller now, around off, driven back to the bowler.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Dead ball. Stokes comes running in, but loses his runup and bails out. Reload.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal comes forward and pushes it into the ground towards gully.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Shorter length again, just pulls the trigger wide and angles it well past the off stump. Rahul leaves it alone.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Dug in a bit short and around off, 140 kph, Rahul keeps it down on the off side.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Good length in the channel, angling back into the batter, Rahul presses back to defend.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, down the leg side, 136 kph, Yashasvi hops and tucks it behind square leg for a single.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full, outside off, 139 kph, hint of away movement, Jaiswal defends.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Well, good signs for England. Jofra Archer is back on to bowl. Seemed pretty ginger after that dive. Starts with a fuller ball, around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal drives but cannot beat mid on.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, Back of a length and around off, Rahul hangs back and blocks it in front of point with ease. A maiden over from Stokes.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, Full of a good length and outside off, this one holds its line. KL Rahul leans across and has a poke at it but gets beaten on the outside edge.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, No run.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, No run.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, No run.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, No run.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, A good short ball, around off, Jaiswal defends.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, 1 run.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, 1 run.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, 3 runs.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, A short ball now, Rahul looks to pull but misses and is hit on the body.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, No run.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full, on middle, pushed towards mid on.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, A touch short, outside off, angling in, Yashasvi Jaiswal pushes but misses.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, angling in, pushed towards mid on for a single.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! SLASHED HARD!

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Around off, solidly defended.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, First real attacking shot attempted by Jaiswal this morning. He has been very patient, having consumed 44 balls before this one, determined to not throw his wicket away. But now, with him being set at the crease, perhaps thinks that he can open his arms. A touch short, outside off, not all that wide, Jaiswal throws his bat at it and slashes hard but misses.

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal defends.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, Huge LBW shout, but turned down. To the naked eye, this seems to be going down the leg side and that's what keeper Jamie Smith seems to be telling Stokes as the skipper discusses about the review. Coming to the ball, it was a lovely inswinger, delivered from wide of the crease. Started from outside off but tailed back in a long way as Rahul missed his flick and was hit on the pads.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, Around off, solidly defended.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, Very full, just outside off, KL Rahul leans to play but then takes his bat away.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, moving away, pushed towards point.

Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, No run.

Ben Stokes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, around off, froma round the wicket, coming back in, Yashasvi Jaiswal nudges it through square leg for a single.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, ! In the air, but in the gap. Short and wide outside off, KL Rahul rises with the bounce and cuts it uppishly behind point. It is not a million miles away from Ollie Pope who tries to take the catch to his left but the ball whizzes past. The ball slows down near the boundary but eventually trickles to the ropes. Rahul moves to 32.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, On a good length, around off, KL stays back to flick but the ball straightens and squares him up. Takes the leading edge and goes towards point.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Back of a length, outside off, Rahul stays back to block.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, No run.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, No run.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, No run.

Excellent stat by Ricky Ponting on air.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full and outside off, Jaiswal leans on and drives it straight to covers.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Lovely delivery again, and Woakes will feel he's been unlucky so far. Full and around off, scrambled seam again and this one moves away late. Jaiswal is beaten once again.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Beaten!

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Fullish length around middle and leg, Rahul is late on the flick and just gets an inside edge as the ball rolls down to fine leg for a single. Had he missed, that was pretty adjacent.

DRINKS BREAK. Excellent opening hour for the tourists. Under overcast conditions, with the ball moving around off the deck and in the air, they have done well to survive some close calls and trust their defence. Of course, they have been aided by England not utlizing the conditions to full effect, keeping the length a bit too short and the line a bit too wide. Nothing outrageous from either opener so far, with both showing patience and resilience to see the new ball off. Don't know whether it w

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Hard length, slanting into middle and leg, jammed away wide of mid on for another quick single. 9 off the over!

Brydon Carse to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Around the wicket to the left-hander, bowling it back of a length and over off and middle. Jaiswal blocks it with gentle hands into the off side and the batters scamper across for a single. Good running!

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Short ball at the bodyline, KLR stays inside the line and helps it down to fine leg for a single.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, ! That is smashed away! A bit short but well outside off, KL Rahul rocks back and cuts it with an open bat face, firmly behind point for a boundary.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Goes full and angles it in at the toes, Rahul takes the front leg out of the way and hits it straight to mid on.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, 2 runs.

One can see the crowd building up nicely. This being the middle day of the week, hard to see the stands filled to full capacity by Tea. Maybe, come the weekend, we could see jam-packed stands from the morning itself.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Hard length, shaping back in towards middle and off, Jaiswal stays upright and blocks it off. A maiden over for Woakes.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Very full and angled in from outside off, YJ shoulders arms.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Good length on off and middle, darting back in, Jaiswal manages to keep it out.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Length ball around off, shooting up off the deck. Jaiswal leaves it alone.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, A huge appeal for LBW but the umpire turns it down. Chris Woakes thinks there might have been an inside edge and has a chat with Ben Stokes, who doesn't review it.

This is now KL Rahul's best bilateral Test series.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Hard length, shaping away from wide outside off, left alone.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, On the shorter side and over off stump, KL Rahul gets up on his toes and blocks it back onto the deck.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Just back of a length, nipping back into the batter. Rahul gets hurried as he looks to flick and gets an inside edge onto the groin area.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Back of a length and outside off, cutting back in sharply. Rahul quickly gets his bat behind his body and leaves it alone.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, 2 runs.

Brydon Carse to KL Rahul, Starts with a shortish ball and extracts some additional bounce off the deck. Rahul is taken aback but manages to keep it down towards gully.

Some Indian legends can be seen at the venue. Former Indian stumper Farokh Engineer and star batter Dilip Vengsarkar are sitting beside each other.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Excellent comeback delivery from Woakes! Goes fuller and gets the ball to swing away late from the off stump line, Jaiswal has a poke at it but gets beaten past the outside edge.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, ! Top shot!

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full and wide outside off, Jaiswal reaches out to drive and does so well but can't beat the point fielder, Ollie Pope, who dives to his left and makes a goo save.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Fuller in length, around middle, Jaiswal forces it with the angle towards mid on.

For the first time, KL Rahul has scored more than 1 century in a bilateral test series.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, seaming in from outside off, left alone.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, A short ball now, down the leg side, Rahul gets outside the line and lets it pass. Good take by the keeper, Jamie Smith, leaping to his left.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, 138 kph, KL Rahul stays back, and plays it off the deck, away from his body, guiding it to the right of Ollie Pope at third slip. Pope dives but cannot stop the ball. Has to get up and fetch the ball himself. Two runs taken by then.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Landed outside off, a touch too full, 141 kph, KLR keeps his bat inside the line and behind his front pad.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, No run.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Full and a bit too straight, shaping in, Rahul looks to flick but misses and is hit on the pads.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Full, outside off, KL Rahul pushes it towards cover and sets off for a single but is sent back.

Change of bats then, for Yashasvi Jaiswal. Karun Nair is the one who brings about 3-4 bats for Jaiswal. The batters take the opportunity to sip a few gulps of water as well. All in readiness now as Jaiswal is happy with his selection.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Wide outside off, swinging in a long way, shouldered arms to.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, THE HANDLE GETS BROKEN!

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Very full, outside off, swinging back in, but too wide to be played at.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tempting line, just a touch wider outside off and keeping the length full, Yashasvi Jaiswal comes forward but shoulders arms.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full, just outside off, left alone.

So Rahul becomes the 5th Indian batter to notch up 1000 runs or more in Tests in England. 4 others before him include Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar and Virat Kohli. Tendulkar tops the list with 1575 runs.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, No run.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Terrific bowling, excellent batting. Landed just short of full, outside off, KLR initially comes forward to defend but just at the last moment, leaves the ball alone on length. The ball rears back sharply and he does really well to take his bat and gloves out of the way.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Just around off, solidly defended. That one came back in a long way.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Full, outside off, 137 kph, shaping away, KL stays back and shoulders arms.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, Rahul stays on top of the bounce and punches it towards cover.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Full, outside off, swinging in nicely, 141 kph, KL Rahul defends it solidly.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full, outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal lunges to defend but the ball pitches and straightens, just missing the outside edge.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, 1 run.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, ! Streaky! Luck has been with India this morning. They could easily have lost both the openers but have survived. Full and wide outside off, KL Rahul reaches out to drive but the ball swings away and takes the outside edge. Flies between gully and third slip, and races to the deep third fence. 1000 RUNS FOR KL RAHUL IN TESTS IN ENGLAND. The only country away from home where he has reached this landmark.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Landed just outside off, KL stays behind it and pushes it towards cover-point.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, That is a real beauty. Full, outside off, 130 kph, coming in with the angle, Rahul comes forward to defend. But just before pitching, the ball swings away, beating the outside edge.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, 129 kph, KL Rahul allows the ball to arrive and then punches it off his back foot, finding the gap through the covers. Two runs taken.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Archer switches to around the wicket and bowls it on a good length, but it is still wide outside off to be played at.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Wider outside off, an easier leave this time.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Good shot, great fielding.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, This one nips back in from outside off, bounces extra, KL Rahul comes forward to defend but gets pinged hard on the gloves. The ball drops down beside him on the leg side.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Full and wide outside off, left alone.

In his last 5 bowling innings at this venue, Chris Woakes has picked up 16 wickets which also includes a five-wicket haul against Australia.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, A beauty from Woakes! Pitches the ball right up on off stump, this one leaves the batter nicely off the deck. Yashasvi Jaiswal looks to play down the line but there's enough movement for the ball to beat the outside edge.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Good-length delivery, in the channel outside off, Jaiswal leaves it alone. Some late swing on offer for Woakes as that one shaped away after passing the batter.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Very full and straight, angling in from around middle, Jaiswal looks to flick it away but gets a bit of a leading edge and the ball rolls back to the bowler.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full, but slipped down the leg side, Jaiswal misses his flick.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, A good length ball, just around off, defended solidly.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Four!

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, No run.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Back of a length and around off, Rahul hops back and dabs it down well behind point.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, No run.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Hard length at the batter, KL Rahul looks to stay back and flick it away but misses and gets hit on the thigh pad.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, A proper bumper now, over middle and at 139 kph. Rahul ducks under it.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Full, just outside off, KL comes forward to defend but then watches the ball go away from him.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, No run.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, No run.

Only once has Woakes gone wicketless in an innings in Tests in Manchester.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Fuller delivery, angled into the pads, Rahul misses the flick and the ball hits the pads, rolling behind square leg. Rahul picks up a leg bye.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, ! Begging to be hit! Banged in short and outside off, comes slower off the deck. KL Rahul has all the time to swivel and pull it away in front of square on the leg side for a boundary.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Full of a good length and on off, this one sticks in the deck as well. Rahul watchfully blocks it off.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Full and outside off, KL defends it solidly towards cover.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, Way down the leg side, Rahul looks to flick but misses. The keeper, Jamie Smith, dives to his left and makes a half stop, with the ball pinging him hard on the glove. There is a leg gully in place as well, so that might have been a deliberate plan to bowl down the leg side.

Chris Woakes to KL Rahul, On a good length, outside off, 131 kph, KL Rahul stays back and punches it towards mid-wicket.

KL Rahul has by far been the best new-ball batter across both teams, getting dismissed just ONCE inside the first 15 overs in the previous 3 Tests.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, And again! Full and quick in the channel, angling away, Jaiswal leaves it alone.

Jofra Archer to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Fuller in length, around off and darting across the left-hander at 140 kph. Jaiswal shoulders arms at it.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Good, positive running! Back of a length and at the batter, Rahul presses back and nudges it down in front of short mid-wicket and scampers through for a single.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Back of a length, outside off, KL shoulders arms.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, Very full, outside off, swinging away, Rahul looks to drive but gets a bit of a bottom edge on that side.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, No run.

Chris Woakes has been a consistent bowler for England in Tests. Since 2023, he has taken the most wickets among English pace bowlers (58). Jofra Archer will share the new ball with Woakes.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, EDGED AND ! Yashasvi Jaiswal and India are off the mark in streaky fashion. Nice and full in the channel around off, Jaiswal jars at it and gets another outside edge that goes down and through the fielder at second slip, rolling away into the fence behind. India are 4/0 after the first over.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Edged but doesn't carry! Woakes pitches it a bit further up around off and forces the batter to play at it. Yashasvi Jaiswal pushes at it and gets a genuine outside edge that lands short of Zak Crawley at third slip. No real pace in the pitch, it seems.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Wide outside off again, Jaiswal shoulders arms.

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, No run.

The anthems have been sung and we are ready for the action to commence in this fourth Test. The roster says that it is scheduled for 5 days but only time will tell whether we have another 5-day Test.  The conditions stay overcast but there is a tinge of blue visible, with the sun trying its best to see whether it can gain a free entry for this match. The players are out in the middle, with Chris Woakes straightaway taking the new ball in his hand. For India, they have the regular set of opener

Chris Woakes to Yashasvi Jaiswal, That is a good start. On a good length, from around the wicket, getting it to seam back in, Yashasvi Jaiswal plays inside the line and is beaten, as the ball keeps coming in.

It is time now for the national anthems of the two teams. India, being the visiting nation, will have their anthem sung first, followed by that of England.

Sadly, as one might call it, the third Test came into the spotlight for a majority of wrong reasons. The match needs to be remembered for the way it ended, with both teams fighting tooth and nail right into the last session. However, what happened in the press conference came to light and kept on doing the rounds. Eventually, it emerged that England were aiming some personal attacks on the Indian players which did not go down too well. However, that is the how the sport goes and this match more

The skipper of England, BEN STOKES, agrees that his decision is based on the overhead conditions, calling them decent for bowling. On the mood in the English camp post the victory at Lord's, Stokes says that everyone had a good break in between the Lord's Test and this one, so it gave a good opportunity for everyone to head back home, put their feet up, take a break and come back recharged. On his own fitness post the third Test, Ben says that he gave everything in that Test but left everything

The captain of India, SHUBMAN GILL, says that he was confused with the forecast around but feels that the surface looks good. Believes that it is a good toss to lose. On India's mentality post the third Test, Gill says that his team has been outstanding. Adds that it has just been the small crunch moments that they have lost, else they have won more sessions than England and that is a great positive for his side. On the 9-day break, Shubman agrees that this break was definitely needed. Details t

India (Playing XI) - Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan (In for Karun Nair), Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur (In for Nitish Kumar Reddy), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Anshul Kamboj (On debut, in for Akash Deep).

England (Playing XI) - Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Liam Dawson (In for Shoaib Bashir), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.

TOSS - Ben Stokes and Shubman Gill are all smiles at the toss, and the former is all set to flip the coin. Gill calls 'Heads,' and it lands as 'Tails,' which means Gill has lost all four coin tosses in this series. Ben Stokes opts to BOWL first.