Pant Injury Alters Tight First Day Of Fourth Test

Fourth Rothesay Test, Emirates Old Trafford (day 1 of five)

India 264-4: Sudharsan 61, Jaiswal 58; Stokes 2-47

England: Yet to bat

England won nan toss

Scorecard

England benefited from an wounded to India's Rishabh Pant connected a hard-fought opening time of nan 4th Test astatine Old Trafford.

Pant had scored 37 successful an important guidelines pinch Sai Sudharsan erstwhile he attempted a reverse expanse astatine Chris Woakes and was struck connected nan correct foot. After curen connected nan field, Pant retired hurt.

The recalled Sudharsan was making England salary for Jamie Smith's driblet until he hooked Ben Stokes to agelong limb for 61.

That near India 264-4 astatine nan close, pinch doubts complete whether Pant tin return successful this innings aliases nan remainder of nan match.

England are looking for nan triumph that would seal nan series, and skipper Stokes took 2 important wickets aft again choosing to section connected winning a 4th successive toss.

Under a perpetually cloudy entity and connected a transportation that offered thing passim nan day, India dug successful - Yashasvi Jaiswal made a watchful 58, KL Rahul a typically correct 46. England were arguably a touch short pinch nan caller ball, past improved aft lunch.

Chris Woakes was rewarded for a good spell by an separator disconnected Rahul, left-arm spinner Liam Dawson struck pinch his seventh shot aft 8 years retired of Test cricket to region Jaiswal, and Stokes had opposing skipper Shubman Gill lbw playing nary stroke.

Sudharsan was put down connected 20 and rebuilt pinch Pant, whose exit was a breakthrough England desperately needed, albeit successful unfortunate circumstances for nan India wicketkeeper.

India must wonderment what they person to do to triumph a toss. This is nan 14th successive world successful each formats nan coin has landed against them.

Gill admitted he was unsure what to do, while Stokes reverted to his favourite method of fielding first. The England skipper often makes his determination successful location Tests by looking astatine nan overheads alternatively than nan surface, and nan Manchester entity was moody for astir of nan day.

Stokes, though, will request his squad to defy history if they are to seal nan bid here. On 11 erstwhile occasions erstwhile a skipper has won nan flip and chosen to section connected this ground, not 1 person they won nan Test.

How different England's time mightiness person been had Smith held nan straightforward chance disconnected Sudharsan. It came successful an day convention erstwhile England had nan momentum of 3 wickets successful 20 overs.

India person an anxious hold complete cardinal man Pant. Whereas he did not support for astir of nan 3rd Test astatine Lord's because of a digit injury, this looked much serious. He was intelligibly discomforted by nan swelling connected his ft and had to beryllium stretchered from nan field.

Bad ray precocious successful nan time delayed England from taking nan caller ball. It will beryllium disposable connected Thursday morning, erstwhile nan equilibrium of powerfulness will possibly beryllium revealed.

All-rounder Stokes, trusting his assemblage aft 3 years dominated by injuries, has been England's champion bowler successful this series. No-one connected either broadside has much than his 13 scalps.

Bounding successful for 14 overs, nan skipper bowled pinch lively gait and capable activity to origin changeless problems.

The lbw of Gill must person been saccharine aft nan India skipper accused England of acting against nan tone of cricket during nan 3rd Test. Stokes was nan bowler erstwhile Smith dropped Sudharsan, who later could not power his hook astatine a Stokes bouncer.

Dawson, playing his first Test successful 8 years, was England's different standout performer. In his 2nd over, he drew Jaiswal into a prod to gaffe and sprinted disconnected into nan covers successful celebration. After that, he provided control, going astatine an system of 3 crossed his 15 overs.

Woakes was arguably fortunate to clasp disconnected Gus Atkinson aft being beneath his champion successful nan first 3 Tests, but bowled amended than his 1-43 suggested. He regularly hit nan separator of Jaiswal successful nan opening hour.

Brydon Carse had a uncommon disappointing day, excessively often dragging down. Jofra Archer, aft his electrifying return to Test cricket astatine Lord's, was tight without creating chances.

Battling to enactment successful nan series, India mislaid all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy and seamer Akash Deep to injuries. In came Shardul Thakur and debutant Anshul Kamboj. For now, replacing number 3 Karun Nair pinch Sudharsan, who was dropped aft nan first Test, has had nan biggest impact.

Jaiswal and Rahul batted pinch awesome accomplishment to defy England and nan conditions successful nan morning, only for India to wobble astatine 140-3 aft Gill padded up to Stokes successful nan afternoon.

It was a scheme for England to target nan pads of Sudharsan and he benefited from Smith's mediocre drop, but speech from that he showed sound judgement and coagulated defence successful his 151-ball stay. The left-hander regularly nudged and nurdled done nan limb side.

In opposition to Sudharsan's calmness, Pant was characteristically chaotic. He had 10 from his first 19 balls, past tried to hack Carse to awesome his intent. He swept Archer for four, missed a reverse-sweep disconnected nan aforesaid bowler and belted Carse backmost complete his caput for six.

Another effort astatine flamboyance was his undoing. England appealed for lbw erstwhile Pant missed nan reverse astatine Woakes and nan consequent reappraisal was struck down. Still, Pant played nary further portion successful nan day.

Sudharsan holed retired and England would person hoped to onslaught Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur pinch nan 2nd caller ball. The evening gloom meant nan rotation of Dawson and Joe Root had to beryllium bowled for 5 overs successful tandem earlier Stokes decided he wanted his pacers, forcing nan manus of nan umpires.