England Eyes Series Lead as India Fights Back in Manchester Test

On the fourth day of the fourth Test match ongoing in Manchester, India ended the day at 174 runs for 2 wickets, having reduced England's lead of 311 runs by 137 runs. After a major setback at the start of the second innings, Shubman Gill and K.L. Rahul steadied the innings with half-century performances.

India's start in the second innings was very poor. England's Chris Woakes sent Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudarshan back on consecutive deliveries in the very first over. Both had scored half-centuries in the first innings, but in the second innings, they couldn't even open their accounts.

At the end of the day, Shubman Gill and K.L. Rahul remained unbeaten. They batted with patience and intelligence to limit England's lead.

Earlier, England put pressure on India by scoring 669 runs in the first innings. At that time, among India's bowlers, only Ravindra Jadeja showed some impact, taking 4 wickets. From England, captain Ben Stokes played a strong innings of 141 runs, scoring a century after two years. Additionally, he took 5 wickets in the match, making him the fifth male captain in Test history to achieve both a century and 5 wickets.

Jasprit Bumrah, for the first time in his Test career, conceded more than 100 runs in an innings. Joe Root scored 150 runs off 248 balls, setting several records to his name. He partnered with Stokes for 142 runs, creating trouble for India. After Root was dismissed by Jadeja, Stokes had to leave the field for some time due to injury.

India scored 358 runs in the first innings. England won the toss and decided to bowl first.

After the fourth day's play, K. L. Rahul (87) and Shubman Gill (78) batted calmly and responsibly, forming an unbeaten partnership of 180 runs. K. L. Rahul celebrated his fourth half-century in the series, having previously scored 2 centuries. Gill has corrected mistakes from previous innings and batted with confidence.

From England, captain Ben Stokes scored a century and achieved a historic record of over 7,000 runs and more than 200 wickets in Tests. Jofra Archer's play on the final day could be decisive. India needs to stay in the match to save the Test, while England aims to seize the opportunity to win the series.

In the second innings, India is now trailing by 137 runs, and the fifth day is likely to be decisive. On Sunday, spectators will witness an exciting thriller on the final day.