IND vs ENG highlights, 4th Test Match Day 2: England reach 225/2 at stumps, trail India by 133 runs

Day 2 of the fourth Test at Old Trafford belonged to England as they ended Thursday on a commanding 225 for 2, trailing India by only 133 runs in the first innings. The tone was set by a dominant opening partnership between Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, who capitalised on favourable batting conditions and a largely ineffective Indian bowling attack.

Duckett scored a brisk 94 off 100 balls before falling short of a century, while Crawley made a powerful 84 off 113 deliveries. Together, they added 166 runs for the opening wicket, punishing India’s bowlers who struggled to find a breakthrough. Though India finally removed both openers, the damage had been done. At stumps, Ollie Pope was batting on 20 alongside Joe Root on 11.

Earlier, India resumed the day on 264 for 4 and quickly lost Ravindra Jadeja in just the second over when he edged Jofra Archer to second slip. However, valuable lower-order runs from Shardul Thakur (41) and Washington Sundar (27) pushed the total to 358. A special highlight of the morning was Rishabh Pant’s return. Batting with a fractured toe, he showed remarkable determination to contribute 54 off just 75 balls after retiring hurt the day before. His resilience was applauded by the Old Trafford crowd as he walked out and fought through visible discomfort.

England’s bowling attack, led by skipper Ben Stokes, did a tidy job wrapping up the Indian innings. Stokes finished with impressive figures of 5 for 72, his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket since 2017. The second new ball, taken at the start of the day, played a key role in helping England finish off the Indian tail.

India now finds itself on the back foot as England’s batters have laid a strong foundation. With eight wickets in hand and batting conditions still helpful, the hosts will look to build a significant first-innings lead. The Indian bowlers, meanwhile, will need to regroup quickly and find breakthroughs on Day 3 to pull themselves back into the contest.

As things stand, this Test match is tilting in England’s favour, thanks to disciplined batting at the top and a fighting effort with the ball earlier in the day.