A gloomy sky, a greenish strip, Ben Stokes winning yet another toss – on paper it looked a morning made for England’s seamers. Instead, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal walked off at lunch without a scratch, quietly backing up Shubman Gill’s pre-match view that it was “a good toss to lose”.
Stokes sent India in for the fourth Test running, but the ball refused to misbehave. Chris Woakes beat Jaiswal’s outside edge often enough to keep slips interested, yet there was not a single genuine chance. Jofra Archer, so sharp at Lord’s, produced a brisk five-over burst; Rahul simply soaked up 25 deliveries, denying the quick any early thrill.
By the interval Rahul had slipped past 400 runs for the series and, in the process, became only the fifth Indian to reach 1,000 Test runs in England. The method was familiar: soft hands, playing late, little fuss. Jaiswal, meanwhile, had to change a cracked bat after ten minutes, but settled quickly. Former England captain Alastair Cook told BBC Test Match Special that the opener “must have been reminded of his responsibilities” by coach Gautam Gambhir – a gentle nod to the youngster’s natural attacking lean.
He still found one moment of release, carving the only six of the session when Stokes dragged a short and wide ball. Otherwise, restraint ruled. Even the stands filled slowly; Lancashire blamed lengthy bag searches for the half-empty look at 11am.
History offers England scant comfort: no side choosing to bowl first at Old Trafford has ever won a Test. Stokes’ men will need the second new ball, reverse swing, or perhaps just brighter skies to buck that trend. For now, India can be content with a wicketless opening act, the scoreboard, and the knowledge that patience – for once – has trumped pizzazz.
