ENG vs IND, 4th Test: 5 Talking Points from India’s Outing on Day 4 at Old Trafford

India faced early setbacks on Day 4 of the Manchester Test, conceding over 600 runs and losing two quick wickets. However, a resilient partnership between Shubman Gill and KL Rahul kept India's hopes alive.

Key Highlights of India's outing on Day 4 of Manchester Test

The penultimate day of the Old Trafford Test between England and India was quite eventful as India dominated the second half of the proceedings after England dominated the morning session in Manchester on Saturday, July 26.

After bundling out England for 669 in 157.1 overs in the first innings, Team India posted a total of 174/2 in 63 overs, with KL Rahul and Shubman Gill batting on 87 and 78, respectively, along with their 174-run partnership, and visitors trail by 137 runs at the end of Day 4, keeping hopes alive for a potential comeback or a draw on the final day, depending on how long the Indian batters can hold on to their ground.

On that note, let’s take a look at key takeaways from India’s outing on a penultimate day in the Manchester Test:

1. 4 Bowlers conceded overs 100 runs in an innings

India’s bowling was sub-par, with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar conceding over 100 runs in their respective spells in the first innings. The Indian bowlers lacked intensity and drive to trouble the England batters, as they dominated the proceedings with minimal resistance to build a massive first-innings total and lead by a substantial margin across two days.

Jasprit Bumrah (2/112) leaked over 100 runs for the first time in his Test career, and Mohammed Siraj recorded his most expensive spell (1/140). Ravindra Jadeja picked three wickets but conceded 143. At the same time, Washington Sundar took two scalps and gave 107 runs, further compounding India’s bowling woes and emphasizing the lack of control and penetration across the attack.

2. India conceded 600+ runs for the first time since 2014

India were hard done by England batters, especially Joe Root (150), Ben Stokes (141), Zak Crawley (84), and Ben Duckett (98), as the hosts piled up the runs and lead, leaving the visitors in a situation where they had not only to bat out of their skins to stay in the contest but also face the pressure of a massive 311-run deficit for the first time in a decade.

On Day 3, India conceded over 500 runs for the first time in an overseas Test since the Sydney Test against Australia in 2015. On the penultimate day of the Manchester Test, the visitors further conceded over 600 runs for the first time in a Test innings since 2014, when New Zealand declared 680/8 in Wellington.

3. Suffered early setbacks with two quick wickets

India assumed their second innings with a 311-run deficit from the first innings of the Manchester Test. As the visitors resumed their batting, they received early setbacks, which put them under pressure early on, given that they had to mount to climb after England had posted a mammoth total of 669 in the first innings.

After facing three deliveries in the opening over, Yashasvi Jaiswal fell for a duck on the fourth ball by Chris Woakes. This was his second duck after the first innings in the Lord’s Test of the ongoing Test series. Then, Sai Sudharsan walked out to bat, but he was sent back in a quick succession by Chris Woakes for a golden duck, and left India in a reeling position of 0/2 in 0.5 overs.

4. Gill and Rahul lead India's fightback

After Chris Woakes’s double strike in a single over, which left India at 0/2 in 0.5 overs, it seemed that the visitors were on the verge of a big collapse due to scoreboard pressure. Many sensed India’s innings would be wrapped up soon, and England would take an unassailable series lead. However, England’s early celebrations with two quick wickets were short-lived when Shubman Gill joined KL Rahul at the crease.

The pair steadied India’s ship following early setbacks and took the team past the 50-run mark. Before the Tea Break, Gill completed his fifty and India posted a total of 86/2 while trailing by 225 runs. After Tea, Shubman Gill and KL Rahul played more defensively than in their earlier season, focusing on negating the second new ball and tiring the England bowlers, as the pair added 88 runs to India’s total of 174/2 at the close of play.

5. Shubman Gill overtakes Virat Kohli’s Indian record

After poor outings in the last three innings, which halted his golden run earlier in the series, Shubman Gill returned to form with a classy and resilient half-century in a crucial situation for Team India. With his unbeaten 78-run innings, the 25-year-old has surpassed Virat Kohli’s Indian record of 693 runs in a Test series as a captain.

Currently, Shubman Gill’s tally stands at 697 runs in 8 innings, and he is just three runs short of becoming the third Indian batter after Sunil Gavaskar and Yashasvi Jaiswal to amass 700 runs in a single Test series. Gavaskar did it twice in 1971 and 1978/79 against West Indies, and Jaiswal achieved this milestone against England in a home series last year. Also, Gill is just 26 runs short of surpassing former West Indies legend Gary Sobers’s record of 722 runs as a captain in a Test series against England.