India Hold Firm On Day Four

The sun dipped gently behind the clouds in the final session in Manchester, but the real shade England faced did not come from the heavens but from the resolute calm of KL Rahul and Shubman Gill. With England leading the Test Series 2-1, and India in trouble, everyone knew that the players physical limits would be tested on the fourth day of the fourth Test Match. After England posted a resounding total of 669 all out, India showed precisely why they are still alive in this Test series: stubbornness, skill, and an understanding of the moment.

After being rocked early at 0 for 2 — Jaiswal and Sudharsan back in the pavilion and the added uncertainty of Rishabh Pant’s injury — India stood at a precipice. England sensed a collapse. But what they didn’t account for was the unflappable partnership that would follow.

KL Rahul and Shubman Gill weren’t just batting. They were negotiating a minefield — especially with the movement on offer from Chris Woakes' brilliant first spell. Rahul and Gill would have to get the balance right between occupying the crease and not being too stagnant on the scoreboard. This wasn’t a mindless blockathon. As the old saying goes, “You still have to play your shots.” And that they did.

Where Rahul played the ball late, getting his head into position and wrists into action, Gill found rhythm through back-foot elegance and a strong bottom hand. The pair complemented each other seamlessly. Gill, often flourishing through the leg side, played the pull with authority. Rahul, ever the technician, punched confidently through cover and down the ground. Their mutual understanding built not only a partnership but belief.

There was a lull after tea — calculated, cautious — but just as England began to tighten the noose, the gears shifted. India moved from survival to assertion, subtly but surely. It was Test cricket at its best: a chess game laced with the nerves of a high-wire act.

⚖️ England's Fatigue and Stokes’ Burden

Meanwhile, England’s dilemma was quietly unspooling. Ben Stokes — England’s talismanic leader, fresh off a commanding 141 in the second innings and five wickets in the first — was visibly hampered. His movements in the field betrayed a niggle: somewhere between the top of the hamstring and the base of the glute. He didn’t bowl at all on day four, which will be causing England fans some concern.

Stokes, by virtue of being captain and such an integral part of this England team, can’t afford rest. He is both sword and shield for this English side. But the toll is showing. With every delivery he doesn’t bowl, the strain shifts to the rest — Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, and the majority of the pace unit have already played three grinding Tests. And if Stokes is unavailable to bowl on the fifth day, England may have to rely on short spells — and a hope that the second new ball provides some magic.

🎯 Missed Chances, Missed Moments

As in all great contests, there was also a moment that might come back to haunt England. Gill, on 46, offered a chance — a difficult diving effort that Dawson couldn’t cling onto. Not an easy take, but a pivotal one. These are the moments in five-day cricket that echo into tomorrow.

And now, they must get eight wickets. That is if Rishabh Pant is able to bat. But knowing Pant's never-say-die attitude, he will likely hobble down those stairs, pads on, bat in hand, heart in mouth. He may have a broken foot, or so it seems. But he will fight. That’s what he does. That’s what India does.

🕰️ Test Cricket: Patience, Pressure, and Pride

What makes this day resonate is what Test cricket uniquely offers: delayed gratification. Everything is earned. Every inch hard-won. This isn't cricket with shortcuts or saviours. This is cricket where your game must endure beyond narrative — it must live through session after session, adjustment after adjustment.

Day 4 offered exactly that. England are most certainly in the driving seat. They batted incredibly well and looked to make easy work of it after Woakes tore into the Indian batting line-up and took two quick wickets without a run being scored. India, scarred but unbowed, dug deep into their batting reserves and found two artists of resistance.

At stumps India were 174 for 2, still trailing by 137. This Test — and this series — is still not over. India will have to dig deep, England will have to bowl well on a pitch that favours batting. And with the second new ball 17 overs away, Ben Stokes will be looking to break this tenacious partnership. India will be hoping for more of the same from KL Rahul and Shubman Gill, who may write another chapter of calm chaos.

The fifth day promises to be an exciting affair.

Will India hold on, or will England make it 3-1 in the series?