England ended Day 2 in pole position after a fine batting performance in the IND vs ENG 4th Test. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett scored aggressive half-centuries to guide the hosts to 225/2 at Stumps. Earlier, Ben Stokes took 5 wickets to see India bowl out for 358.
India resumed the game at 264/4 with no clarity on Rishabh Pant. Shardul Thakur stroked a vital 41 to guide India past 300, while Pant heroically returned to stroke a half-century. In response, England made merry, with Ben Duckett falling for 94 handing Anshul Kamboj his 1st Test wicket.
Ben Stokes bags 5-fer after 8 years
Ben Stokes led from the front in Manchester as he ran through the Indian batting line up in the IND vs ENG 4th Test. The England captain bowled full tilt and kept the Indian batting on their toes throughout the first innings. He struck with the big fish first, dismissing opposition captain Shubman Gill. He followed it up with the well thought out dismissals of Sai Sudharsan and Ravindra Jadeja. He then dismissed Shardul Thakur and Anshul Kamboj to have five wickets in the innings. It was his first five-wicket haul since his 2017 effort against West Indies at Lord’s. He became the the first England captain to take a 5-wicket haul at home since 1983 after Bob Willis.
Brave Rishabh Pant slams 50 on one foot
Rishabh Pant is often considered reckless but on Thursday, the Indian vice-captain turned that spirit into bravery. Battling a fractured metarsal, Pant walked out to bat in pain and added some valuable runs lower down the order. Resuming on 37, Pant reached his half-century and earned a standing ovation from the Manchester crowd. First he pulled Jofra Archer for a massive six, down the mid-wicket boundary, and then in the next over, followed that up with a block against Ben Stokes, that raced away to the boundary. It was his 5th 50+ score this series, the most by a keeper batsman in England.
Bumrah and Co struggle as England openers make merry
While the England pacers kept India at bay, Jasprit Bumrah and Co struggled to replicate that. What initally seemed like a good total was dispelled by some aggressive batting from the England openers. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett put on 166 for the 1st wicket in just 32 overs, scoring in excess of 5. Ben Duckett looked set for a hundred but missed out handing Kamboj a wicket. Ollie Pope and Joe Root batted out the rest of the day to leave England in command at 225/2. Barring Bumrah, no Indian bowler conceded at less than 4.5 an over. Even the Indian talisman struggled in his first spell, only to pull his figures back later in the day.
Editor's Pick
Cricket
How Virat Kohli's 100 in Ranchi resulted in tickets for IND vs SA 3rd ODI getting sold out instantly
Top Stories
