India Counters England Onslaught with Gill-Rahul Resistance. Rahul and Gill’s unbeaten 174-run stand anchored India’s resilient fightback on Day 4. Their stand blunted England’s momentum after an early burst of wickets on the fourth morning in Manchester. After Ben Stokes powered England to a commanding 311-run lead and the hosts struck twice early, India appeared in deep trouble.
However, Rahul and Gill steadied the innings with immense composure, batting through two entire sessions without losing a wicket. Their gritty partnership, spanning over 370 deliveries, helped India close the day at 174/2, narrowing the deficit to 137 runs and keeping hopes alive.
Ben Stokes led England’s charge with a commanding 141 — his first Test century in over two years — as the hosts piled up a formidable 669 in Manchester. India had hoped to clean up the tail quickly on a gloomy morning, but Stokes had other plans.
After losing Dawson early to Jasprit Bumrah, the England skipper launched a ferocious counterattack, bringing up his hundred with a leg glance off Mohammed Siraj and then hammering 41 more runs off just 34 deliveries.
In a landmark moment, Ben Stokes became only the third allrounder in Test history to complete the double of 7000 runs and 200 wickets. Brydon Carse added a quick 47 to frustrate India further before the innings ended just before lunch.
England carried their momentum into India’s second innings with a fiery burst
From Chris Woakes, who produced a stunning double-wicket maiden just before the lunch break. With only three overs to survive, India were rocked as Yashasvi Jaiswal was caught behind off a delivery that nipped away, followed immediately by Sai Sudharsan edging one after hesitating on the next ball.
India hadn’t even opened their account when both openers were dismissed. On the hat-trick ball, Shubman Gill survived a tight LBW shout and managed to steady himself to see off the tense session.
Shubman Gill and KL Rahul steadied India’s innings with a composed partnership during a wicketless second session, following the early collapse just before lunch. Gill played with fluency to bring up his half-century, while Rahul offered solid resistance at the other end.
Their partnership helped India reach 86/2 at Tea, calming the nerves after the top-order wobble. Their relentless accuracy repeatedly tested the Indian batters, creating several close chances throughout the session. Archer came close to dismissing Gill early in the session, but the reviewed LBW appeal was upheld as not out.
Gill also took a painful blow on the glove, and Rahul was repeatedly tested by deliveries that jagged in off the seam
But both batters held firm to guide India through a tense session. Despite relentless pressure from England’s bowlers, Shubman Gill and KL Rahul managed to relieve the tension with timely boundaries. Shubman Gill displayed his trademark elegance with a range of classy strokes, notably a fluent cover drive and a deft upper cut off Jofra Archer.
Despite persistent probing from Brydon Carse and Chris Woakes, England’s frustration grew as they squandered a second review when Carse struck Gill on the pad, only for replays to reveal it was missing leg stump.
India Counters England Onslaught with Gill-Rahul also enjoyed a slice of fortune when Dawson dropped a sharp chance at gully, while Rahul survived a top-edged sweep that fell safely. Gill went on to notch yet another fifty in the series, guiding India to Tea without further setbacks.
Liam Dawson began the final session with three tight maiden overs, but KL Rahul and Shubman Gill remained composed, showing no urgency as they gradually built their partnership past the 100-run mark. Rahul soon followed Gill in reaching his half-century, and the pressure began to ease with a flurry of boundaries, including three in an over off Jofra Archer.
Dawson briefly switched to over the wicket before reverting to his original angle, but the Indian duo held firm. England missed Ben Stokes’ bowling due to a hamstring concern, though he stayed on the field.
In an attempt to break the stand, Carse resorted to short-ball tactics from around the wicket, peppering the batters with back-of-length deliveries. Calm and Composed: Indian Pair Battles Through Final Session.
Liam Dawson came close to breaking the partnership when an arm ball skidded through sharply and rapped Shubman Gill on the pad, but an inside edge saved the batter. Aside from that brief scare, the Indian duo remained largely untroubled as they extended their resilient stand beyond 150 runs.
KL Rahul continued to look assured, driving Woakes for two crisp boundaries, while Gill added to England’s frustration with a fine glance off Dawson to the rope. Dawson and Joe Root bowled in tandem in the final overs before stumps, but neither could find a breakthrough, as Gill and Rahul saw India through to the close without further damage.
Brief Scores: England asserted dominance with a massive first-innings total of 669, powered by Joe Root’s 150 and Ben Stokes’ commanding 141, while Ravindra Jadeja stood out with figures of 4 for 143.
In response, India managed 358 in their first innings and staged a strong comeback in the second, reaching 174/2 at stumps. KL Rahul remained unbeaten on 87 alongside Shubman Gill on 78, as the pair stitched a resilient stand to reduce the deficit to 137 runs.