ENG vs IND: Shubman Gill and KL Rahul live to fight another day in 4th Test

Team India live to fight another day in the 4th Test against England in Manchester as batters Shubman Gill and KL Rahul take India from 0/2 to 174/2 at stumps with the visitors still trailing by 137 runs with 3 sessions of the Test match left to be played. 

 

The final day in Manchester is going to be another action-packed one as all eyes will be on the duo again, who will be fighting for a draw to take the series into the 5th and final Test match.

 

Going into the final session, Gill and Rahul knew they had to play out the next 2 hours if they were to fight for a draw on the final. While Gill didn't accelerate despite reaching his fifty, he was supported well by Rahul as the duo put up a 150-run partnership on the day. 

 

Rahul and Gill's record partnership

 

Rahul and Gill have now also set the record for the highest partnership in Test cricket after a team lost its first two wickets without scoring. According to the official broadcast, their stand surpassed the previous record of 105 runs, held by India’s Mohinder Amarnath and Gundappa Viswanath against Australia during the third Test at the MCG in 1977. 

 

Prior to that, England’s Archie MacLaren and Stanley Jackson had an unbeaten 102-run partnership in the same scenario against Australia in 1902 at Lord’s.

 

Liam Dawson's tight lines did test both Gill and Rahul, but their defence was resilient and had all the answers for the spinner, who ended his spell after bowling 15 overs today.

 

All wasn't dull on the day as KL Rahul did get some boundaries, featuring a pull shot on Archer's delivery that ran away for four towards deep square. Gill too produced some good cricketing shots to fetch boundaries of his own.

 

England punish Indian bowlers with highest Test total in Manchester 

 

Earlier, Day 4 at Old Trafford began with England firmly in control, and by tea, the hosts had tightened their grip on the match. In the opening session, England wrapped up their first innings with a mammoth total of 669, thanks to Ben Stokes' remarkable 141. 

 

The England skipper became the first from his country to score a century and take a five-wicket haul in the same Test match. Brydon Carse contributed well in the lower order before being dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja. This marked the first time since 2014 that India conceded over 600 runs in a Test innings, the last being New Zealand’s 680/8 declared in Wellington.

 

India’s response started in disaster, collapsing to 1/2 in just the first over. Chris Woakes struck twice, removing openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and debutant Sai Sudharsan for ducks, setting the tone with the new ball.

 

In the post-lunch session, Shubman Gill and KL Rahul began India’s fightback. They batted cautiously, surviving some quality pace from Archer and Woakes and tight spin from Liam Dawson. The pair added some stability, slowly rotating strike and putting away rare loose deliveries. Gill, in particular, looked solid as he reached his eighth Test fifty, becoming the highest-scoring Indian Test captain against England, surpassing Virat Kohli’s 655 runs.

 

England, visibly eager for breakthroughs, burned two unsuccessful reviews and missed Ben Stokes’ bowling services, who hasn't bowled in the second innings. Despite some nervy moments, Rahul and Gill batted with grit, guiding India to 86/2 at tea in 29 overs, their third-wicket stand crossing 100 shortly after.

 

India still trails by over 200 runs, facing a steep task to avoid defeat. With Gill and Rahul settled, they’ll aim to extend their resistance in the final session and keep the match alive.