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England established control on Day 2 of the fourth Test against India at Manchester, reaching 225 for two at stumps on Thursday, powered by Ben Duckett’s aggressive 94 and Zak Crawley’s 84. Earlier, India posted 358 in their first innings, highlighted by an inspiring 54 from Rishabh Pant, who batted with a broken foot.Duckett and Crawley put on a commanding 166-run opening partnership off 192 balls, effectively neutralising India’s bowling attack. The duo scored at nearly five runs per over, taking advantage of wayward bowling from the Indian pacers.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!India’s pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and debutant Anshul Kamboj struggled to maintain accuracy, frequently offering loose deliveries on the leg side. The England openers capitalised on these opportunities, particularly Duckett, who scored freely.Kamboj, who joined the squad as a late replacement due to injuries, managed to claim his first Test wicket by dismissing Duckett. The length delivery that got extra bounce resulted in a catch behind the wickets.Shardul Thakur’s expensive bowling spell added to India’s difficulties, with England’s batters facing more favourable batting conditions under sunshine compared to India’s innings under overcast skies.In the earlier part of the day, Ben Stokes claimed his first five-wicket haul in eight years as England bowled out India for 358. The morning session saw India resume at 264 for four, with conditions favouring the seamers.Jofra Archer struck early, removing the in-form Ravindra Jadeja for 20. The delivery shaped away from leg stump, taking the outside edge with Harry Brook completing a low catch at second slip.Shardul Thakur showed attacking intent during his 41-run innings, including impressive boundaries off Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes. However, Stokes eventually dismissed him with a clever delivery that induced a catch to Ben Duckett at gully.
The most remarkable moment of the day came when Rishabh Pant walked out to bat with a broken foot. Despite his visible struggle to run between wickets, Pant displayed exceptional courage and skill.Pant’s innings included a spectacular six off Archer’s slower ball between mid-wicket and square leg. He followed this with a boundary through cover off Stokes to reach his fifty, earning a standing ovation from the crowd.Archer eventually ended Pant’s brave innings by cleaning up his stumps with an excellent delivery. Joe Root’s gesture of patting Pant on his way back reflected the opposition’s appreciation for his valiant effort.
Source: Times of India
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