India ended Day 1 of the crucial fourth Test at Old Trafford on a mixed note—propped up by gritty half-centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal and debutant B. Sai Sudharsan, yet left visibly shaken by an injury to vice-captain Rishabh Pant, who retired hurt after a painful blow to the foot.
At stumps, India were 264 for 4 in 83 overs after being put in to bat first by England captain Ben Stokes under overcast skies.
The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the composure of 22-year-old Sudharsan, who stepped up in just his second Test to craft a composed 61 off 151 balls. Recalled in place of Karun Nair, the left-hander repaid the team’s faith despite a nervy start and a dropped chance on 20.
I was slightly tired when I walked in. The game was so intense, I was just trying to wind down earlier with some drawing in my notebook. That’s a bit of a pastime for me — keeps me in and around the game.
Sudharsan steps up in tense situation
Sudharsan took time to settle but showed excellent application on a pitch that offered variable bounce. “The ball was moving a lot under the clouds. I had to play tighter and stay patient. That’s something I focused on — just negotiating the tricky spells,” he said.
He shared a crucial 72-run stand with Pant, who had looked sharp in his 37 before a failed reverse sweep off Chris Woakes led to the ball ricocheting onto his right foot. The swelling was immediate and severe—“shaped like a table tennis ball,” as one observer noted—and Pant had to be taken off on a buggy. His availability for the rest of the match remains uncertain.
Jaiswal, Rahul weather the new ball
India’s early progress had been promising. Jaiswal and KL Rahul weathered the new ball, stitching a 94-run opening stand. Jaiswal, who scored 58, was patient early on as Woakes repeatedly beat his outside edge. But once settled, he took on the pacers, lofting Ben Stokes for six and carving boundaries off Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer.
Rahul, too, looked fluent, cutting and driving crisply to reach 46 before he edged Woakes to third slip. Jaiswal followed soon after, falling to Liam Dawson, playing his first Test in eight years.
India then suffered another blow when Stokes trapped skipper Shubman Gill for 12, a decision upheld on review as ball-tracking showed it would clip the top of off.
Pant’s injury halts strong partnership
Just as England sensed control, Pant and Sudharsan counter-punched. Sudharsan pulled Archer through fine leg and creamed Root through covers for his maiden Test fifty, while Pant reverse-swept, front-foot swept and even attempted a reverse-ramp.
But disaster struck when Pant’s reverse-sweep went wrong, injuring his foot and sending a wave of concern through the Indian camp.
Sudharsan fell shortly after reaching his milestone, top-edging a short ball from Stokes—his third dismissal by the England captain this series. Ravindra Jadeja (19*) and Shardul Thakur (19*) ensured there were no more hiccups before bad light stopped play.
The day, which began with promise, ended with unease as India wait anxiously on Pant’s scan results. With the series at 1-2, every run and every fit player may prove crucial in India’s bid to level it.
Brief scores: India 264/4 in 83 overs (B. Sai Sudharsan 61, Yashasvi Jaiswal 58; Ben Stokes 2-47, Chris Woakes 1-43) vs England
