India ended Day 1 of the Manchester Test at 264/4 after steady starts from KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Sai Sudharsan impressed on return, while Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant had forgettable outings.
Key Highlights from India's Day 1 outing at Old Trafford
The opening day of the Old Trafford Test between England and India looked promising with the visitors dominating the proceedings in Manchester on Wednesday, July 23.
At the end of Day 1, India posted a total of 264/4 after 83 overs, with Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur batting on 19 each, steering the visitors to a position of strength after early setbacks and an injury scare to Rishabh Pant that saw the vice-captain retire hurt on 37.
On that note, let’s take a look at key takeaways from India’s outing in the fourth Test at Manchester.
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1. Karun Nair dropped from playing XI
Despite speculations of Karun Nair retaining his place in the playing XI, the veteran Indian batter was dropped for the Manchester Test and replaced by Sai Sudharsan in the team. Nair made his Test comeback after a gap of eight years. However, the 33-year-old failed to justify his selection as his scores read - 0,20, 31, 26, 40, and 14 and aggregated 131 runs at an average of 21.83 in six innings, failing to convert his starts into impactful knocks.
Many expected Karun Nair to be backed by team management for another chance, but he was surprisingly dropped from the team. Former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif criticized Shubman Gill on his X handle for not giving another chance to Karun, adding that he lost the chance of earning respect for not backing a senior player going through a rough patch.
Team India openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal stitched a steady and composed opening partnership, laying a solid foundation with their measured approach. England skipper Ben Stokes put the visitors to bat first under overcast conditions in Manchester. However, KL Rahul and Jaiswal showed solid temperament and technique, negotiating the early swing and seam movement to frustrate the England bowlers.
The opening pair formed a 94-run stand until KL Rahul was dismissed for 46 by Chris Woakes. After a while, Yashasvi Jaiswal’s stay at the crease came to an end, dismissed for 58 at 120/2 by Liam Dawson, who marked his return to Test cricket after a gap of eight years.
Shubman Gill has been struggling with his form after enduring a golden run in the first two Tests of the ongoing series at Headingley and Edgbaston. After amassing 585 runs, including two centuries and a double century, at an exceptional average of 46.25 in first innings, Team India suffered a sudden dip in form.
In the Lord’s Test, Shubman Gill 16 and 6 in both innings, raising early signs of a dip that continued into the Manchester Test, where Ben Stokes dismissed him for just 12 runs. After a brilliant start to the series in Leeds and Birmingham, Gill could manage to score just 34 runs in the next three innings, and his batting average in the ongoing series dropped to 88.43.
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4. Injury Scare for Rishabh Pant
Team India received another setback after Rishabh Pant hurt his right foot in the third session of Day 1. In the 68th over of India’s first innings batting, Pant attempted a premeditated reverse sweep off Chris Woakes, but missed it completely as the ball hit his right foot. Pant was visibly in discomfort and called on physiotherapists.
However, the vice-captain was unable to walk or stand up as he was stretchered off the field in a buggy ambulance, retiring hurt on 37 off 46 balls. According to the statement by BCCI on its X handle, Pant was taken to hospital for scans, and the medical team is monitoring his progress. There is an uncertainty over his further participation in the Manchester Test.
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5. Sai Sudharsan marks his return with fifty
Sai Sudharsan did not have an ideal start to his Test debut at Headingley, scoring 0 and 30, and was dropped from the playing XI for the next two Tests at Edgbaston and Lord’s. However, Sudharsan made a comeback to playing XI by replacing Karun Nair, who took his No.3 spot in the previous two Tests of the series.
The 23-year-old justified his selection by scoring his maiden Test fifty and played a gritty yet composed innings of 61 off 151 balls, consisting of seven fours. He was the first No.3 batter since Cheteshwar Pujara in 2022 to score an overseas fifty in a Test match. Sudharsan and Pant were forming a good partnership to ensure no fall of wickets at the end of close of play, until the latter walked off the field due to injury.
