Manchester [UK], July 24 : England openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley provide a solid start to the hosts after bundling out India for 358 in the second session of Day 2 of the fourth Test at Old Trafford in Manchester on Thursday.
At the stroke of Tea, the Ben Stokes-led side was 77/0 with Duckett (43*) and Crawley (33*) unbeaten on the crease. The England side still trails India's total of 358 by 281 runs.
The second session of Day 2 resumed from 321/6 with Rishabh Pant (39*) and Washington Sundar (20*) unbeaten on the crease.
In the 110th over, Team India lost two wickets as Sundar (27) and debutant Anshul Kamboj (0) were sent back to the pavilion by England skipper Ben Stokes when the side's score was 337.
Pant completed his half-century on the first ball of the 112th over as he slammed a boundary on the bowling of Stokes.
At the score of 349, India lost the wicket of Pant (54 runs off 75 balls) as he was cleaned up by right-arm seamer Jofra Archer. In the same over, the Shubman Gill-led side touched the 350-run mark.
After Pant's dismissal, right-hand batter Mohammed Siraj (5*) came out to bat in the middle.
On the first ball of the 115th over, India were bowled out at the score of 358 as right-hand batter Jasprit Bumrah (4) was dismissed by Archer.
For the hosts, the pick of the bowlers was Stokes, who bagged a fifer in his spell of 24 overs, where he conceded 72 runs in his spell. Three wickets were snapped by Archer (3/73 in 26.1 overs), and one wicket each was grabbed by right-arm seamer Chris Woakes (1/66 in 23 overs) & left-arm spinner Liam Dawson (1/45 in 15 overs) in their respective spells.
In reply to India's 358, openers Duckett and Crawley came out to bat on the crease.
Both players started off the innings carefully, but later attacked the Indian bowlers, especially right-arm pacer Siraj (0/26 in 4 overs) and Kamboj (0/29 in 5 overs). Bumrah was also a little bit expensive as he gave away 22 runs in his first five overs.
Earlier in the first session, the visitors managed to add just 57 runs in 22 overs, losing two important wickets along the way. Jofra Archer, who looked sharp from the start, gave England the perfect start by dismissing Ravindra Jadeja for 20.
Shardul Thakur, known for his fighting spirit, showed great patience at the other end. He absorbed the pressure, punished the loose balls, and built a useful stand before England skipper Ben Stokes got the breakthrough by dismissing him for a well-made 41.
The biggest moment of the session came when Rishabh Pant walked out to bat, limping and clearly in discomfort, yet determined. As he made his way to the middle, the crowd erupted with a huge roar. It was a sight that lifted Indian fans' spirits instantly.
Brief Score: India 358 all out (Sai Sudarshan 61, Yashasvi Jaiswal 58; Ben Stokes 5/72) vs England 77/0 (Ben Duckett 43*, Zak Crawley 33*; Jasprit Bumrah 0/22).
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