Shubman Gill and KL Rahul stood tall with unbeaten fifties in a defiant 174-run partnership as India clawed their way back into the fourth Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test. Trailing by 137 runs at stumps on Day Four, the visitors reached 174/2 in 63 overs, keeping England’s charge in check and setting up a tense final day.
Rahul, Gill Show Grit Under Pressure
Walking in at 0/2 inside the first five balls of the second innings, Gill and Rahul had the weight of the match – and perhaps the series – on their shoulders. Gill arrived to face a hat-trick ball, but the pair batted with poise and resilience, surviving two wicketless sessions and blunting England’s momentum.
Rahul was composed, unfurling trademark punches and glides, while Gill blended elegance with control, driving and cutting with authority.
Gill finished unbeaten on 78, while Rahul reached 87 not out, as both batters soaked up 361 balls in their match-saving effort.
Stokes Stars with Century After Fifer
Earlier in the day, England tightened their grip with a mammoth 669 in the first innings. Ben Stokes, who had already starred with a five-wicket haul, produced a sublime 141 off 198 balls—his first Test hundred in over two years.
He brought up the milestone by flicking Siraj for four and celebrated with a skyward glance and a finger salute, in tribute to his late father, Ged.
Stokes dominated the innings with a mix of aggression and finesse, striking two sixes off Sundar and Jadeja before eventually mistiming one to long-on.
Brydon Carse offered strong support with a lively 38, as England’s tail wagged efficiently. For India, Jadeja claimed 4/143, but the bowling unit struggled overall—especially Bumrah, who conceded over 100 runs in a Test innings for the first time.
India Wobble Early, Woakes Strikes Twice
India’s second innings started disastrously, with Chris Woakes dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal for a duck and B Sai Sudharsan soon after. Woakes found swing and bounce, while Joe Root took a stunning low catch at slip to remove Jaiswal. Harry Brook snapped up Sudharsan next ball.
But from 0/2, Gill and Rahul dug in. The post-lunch session saw Gill survive a couple of LBW scares off Archer, while Rahul opened up with a cracking punch through cover.
Gill Overtakes Kohli; Eyes Gavaskar Mark
Gill survived a sharp chance on 46, but brought up his half-century just before tea. In the process, he overtook Virat Kohli’s 655-run tally in the 2016 England series. He now inches closer to Sunil Gavaskar’s Indian record of 732 runs in a series.
Notably, every time Gill has crossed fifty in this series, he has gone on to score a century—setting the stage for a possible encore on Day Five.
Calm After the Storm: Final Session Belongs to India
In the final session, Rahul guided Archer late past third man to reach his half-century, while Gill continued to wear down the English bowlers with calculated aggression. Short balls were ignored, wide ones punished.
Against Woakes, Gill was all wrists and timing, slicing boundaries through point. Rahul looked equally assured, rotating the strike and waiting for the bad ball.
With the pitch flattening and the ball going soft, England’s bowlers found little assistance. Crucially, Ben Stokes didn’t bowl in the second innings, nursing a sore knee.
As the shadows lengthened, England turned to part-time spin of Liam Dawson and Joe Root, but Gill and Rahul remained unflustered—leaving the match tantalisingly poised.
With rain forecast for Day Five, India’s unbeaten third-wicket stand has given them a glimmer of hope in what once looked like a lost cause.
Brief Scores: India 358 & 174/2 in 63 overs (KL Rahul 87*, Shubman Gill 78*; Chris Woakes 2/48) England 669 in 157.1 overs (Ben Stokes 141, Joe Root 150; Ravindra Jadeja 4/143, Washington Sundar 2/107): India trail by 137 runs.