Cricholic
India Resilient after a gripping Day 1 at Old Trafford, finishing on 264/4 thanks to composed fifties from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan. While England struck back in the middle session, India maintained composure throughout. The only concern came late in the day when Rishabh Pant limped off after injuring his foot.
🏏 India Resilient Through Solid Opening Stand
England skipper Ben Stokes won the toss again and chose to field. India shuffled their lineup, bringing in debutant Anshul Khamboj, Sai Sudharsan, and Shardul Thakur. England made a single change, replacing Shoaib Bashir with Liam Dawson.
India’s opening pair — KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal — faced early movement. Chris Woakes beat Jaiswal’s bat twice in the opening over, and Jofra Archer maintained tight lines. However, both batters showed patience, gradually shifting the momentum. Jaiswal launched a six off Stokes and flicked drives to the fence. India reached Lunch unscathed — their most solid start of the series.
⚔️ India Resilient Despite England’s Fightback
After the break, England clawed their way back. Rahul edged one to third slip off Woakes, ending a strong 94-run opening partnership. Jaiswal crossed 1000 Test runs against England and brought up his fifty, but Dawson dismissed him soon after with a sharp turner that caught the edge.
Shubman Gill opened with a boundary but misjudged a straight ball from Stokes and was out LBW. His miscalculation also cost India a review. Despite those setbacks, Sai Sudharsan and Rishabh Pant guided India to 149/3 by Tea, showing calm under pressure.
🩹 India Resilient Even After Pant’s Exit
The evening session began with England targeting Sudharsan with short balls. Sudharsan responded with hooks and pulls, especially off Archer. Pant counterattacked — reverse-sweeping Woakes and launching a six off Brydon Carse. That six brought up his 1000th Test run in England, making him the first visiting wicketkeeper to reach that milestone.
However, a blow to Pant’s foot left him in visible discomfort. Despite continuing briefly, he couldn’t carry on and needed help to leave the field. Medical staff took him off using an ambulance cart.
Sudharsan carried on and reached his maiden Test fifty with a cover drive off Root. Stokes returned and stuck to his short-ball plan. Eventually, Sudharsan top-edged a pull to fine leg, falling for 61 — his third dismissal to Stokes in the series.
💡 India Resilient Finish in Fading Light
With Pant off and Sudharsan gone, Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur saw India through. Jadeja struck two boundaries and showed no signs of panic. Thakur drove confidently past point for four.
As light deteriorated, England delayed the second new ball and bowled spin. The umpires intervened, and players walked off due to bad light. India added 115 runs in the final session, ending the day well despite the injury blow.
📊 Day 1 Summary – India vs England, 4th Test
India: 264/4
Sai Sudharsan 61, Yashasvi Jaiswal 58, KL Rahul 46
Ben Stokes 2/47, Chris Woakes 1/43, Liam Dawson 1/45
