IND vs ENG 4th Test Day 4: Gill, Rahul Keep India In The Game After Stokes' Century
Captain Shubman Gill and the reliable KL Rahul provided India with a glimmer of hope through resilient half-centuries, following a well-crafted hundred from Ben Stokes that extended England's dominance in the fourth Test on Saturday.
After losing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan for no runs in the second innings, Gill (78 not out off 167 balls) and Rahul (87 not out off 210 balls) demonstrated ample patience during their 174-run partnership, significantly reducing England's substantial lead of 311 runs. By the close of play on day four, India stood at 174 for two after two wicketless sessions, still trailing the hosts by 137 runs.
England were bowled out for 669 in the morning session, following Stokes' remarkable 141 off 198 balls, which came after his five-wicket haul on Friday.
The highly skilled pair of Gill and Rahul could have taken more risks against left-arm spinner Liam Dawson but instead played some exquisite drives against the fast bowlers.
England tried various strategies in the final session, including peppering the well-set duo with short balls, but Rahul and Gill remained unfazed.
England purposefully targeted Gill's pads, sensing a weakness, but the Indian captain found a way to survive a lethal spell from Archer.
Rahul, on the other hand, has appeared chanceless in the series, playing the ball late with a watertight defence.
England pacers seemed to get plenty of movement in the air and off the pitch, but batting became easier in the final session with the sun emerging from the clouds at Old Trafford.
Rahul's square cuts and back cuts were regal, comparable to Gordon Greenidge and Virender Sehwag, two of the finest exponents of shots square off the track.
This season, the surface has been slow and dry, with none of the four county games here producing a result. India will have that piece of information at the back of their mind.
In the afternoon session, Gill overcame initial jitters to score a hard-fought fifty, leading India's resistance during a wicketless afternoon session, leaving the visitors at 86 for two.
England fast bowlers, especially Jofra Archer, bowled inswingers into Gill's pads, but the Indian captain managed to survive those testing moments before playing sumptuous strokes.
Gill also had luck on his side as he was dropped by Dawson off Brydon Carse at backward point on 46.
Gill played some stunning straight drives and cover drives on his way to a gritty half-century. In the 17th over, he collected back-to-back boundaries off Archer, first with a crisp cover drive, followed by an upper cut. He also hit consecutive boundaries off Carse, including a regal on-drive.
In the morning session, India made a disastrous start to their second innings after Stokes scored a stroke-filled hundred following his five-wicket haul, helping England to a massive 311-run lead.
With England posting a mammoth 669 in the morning session, India came out roughly 20 minutes before lunch.
It was hara-kiri in the middle as Jaiswal and Sudharsan departed in successive balls in the first over of India's innings.
Jaiswal tried to flick a ball off Chris Woakes but was caught by Joe Root at first slip after a fumble. The very next ball, Sudharsan was late in leaving the ball and ended up giving catching practice to Harry Brook at second slip.
As was the case in the second innings, England fast bowlers seemed to extract a lot more from the pitch than the Indians in this brief passage of play.
Resuming the day at 544 for seven, England effectively batted India out of the game. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj appeared in good rhythm and bowled with much greater intensity than shown on Friday, but it was not enough to prevent England from amassing the highest total at Old Trafford.
Bumrah ended with figures of 33-5-112-2, the first time he has conceded 100 runs or more in his phenomenal Test career.
Stokes began the day by stepping out to Siraj and dispatching him through the cover region before playing an expansive drive off the Indian workhorse.
He completed a rare double of 100 and a five-wicket haul in the same innings with a tickle down the leg side off Siraj that went for four. The hundred, coming after two years, meant a lot to him.
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When Stokes made room to whack Washington Sundar down the ground for six, he became only the third cricketer to complete 7,000 runs and 200 wickets after Jacques Kallis and Gary Sobers.
With England collecting boundaries for fun, it also marked the first time since 2014 that India conceded 600 runs in an innings.
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Ben Stokes India vs England India vs England 2025 kl rahul Shubman Gill
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First Published:
July 26, 2025, 23:49 IST
News cricket IND vs ENG 4th Test Day 4: Gill, Rahul Keep India In The Game After Stokes' Century
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