Tea, day two – Old Trafford
India 358 all out (Sudharsan 61, Jaiswal 58, Pant 54; Stokes 5-72)
England 77-0 (Duckett 43, Crawley 33) trail by 281 runs
Ben Stokes bowled himself into the ground for figures of 5-72, then watched Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley motor England to 77 without loss before tea. The run-rate – just nudging past five an over – has already pared a fair chunk off India’s 358, but there’s still heavy lifting ahead.
First, the basics. India’s 358 felt plenty, especially once England were asked to bat under cloud. Yet the visitors may rue a scruffy hour with the ball – fuller lengths vanished, particularly once Duckett started clipping anything remotely straight.
The hosts’ innings began sedately. Crawley needed 13 deliveries to get off the mark, one of Jasprit Bumrah’s lifters thumping the bottom hand to remind him why caution still matters on this pitch. The tall opener’s judgement outside off stump held up well; odd thing is, he only looked twitchy once the scoreboard began to tick. A loose push away from the body sent an inside edge millimetres from the stumps.
Duckett lived a different existence entirely. India – oddly – fed the left-hander with line and length on the pads. Seven leg-side boundaries later, he is 43 from 46 balls and counting. “You get something there, you’ve got to cash in,” he said during the interval, sounding more sheepish than triumphant.
India’s day had started with a genuine show of grit. Rishabh Pant, right foot still fractured, limped out at No. 7 and unfurled a 54 that mixed caution with familiar audacity. One upper-cut six off Mark Wood – the 90th of Pant’s Test career, equalling Virender Sehwag’s national mark – drew a roar from the stands. “The foot’s sore, but once you’re out there, adrenaline takes over,” Pant told host broadcaster Sky.
Stokes sensed a target and aimed at that injured front peg. Two thumping yorkers kept Pant quiet, yet England’s captain did most damage with orthodox movement from a full length. “I just tried to keep hitting that length and let the ball do the work,” he explained. The reward – a first Test five-for since 2017 – pushed his series tally to 16 wickets, surpassing the 15 he managed in his debut Ashes.
Shardul Thakur (41) and Washington Sundar (29) nudged India to a score that felt above par. Both eventually fell to short-ball variations; neither looked comfortable once Stokes switched from wobble-seam to chest-high nudge.
Debutant seamer Anshul Kamboj was given the new ball ahead of Mohammed Siraj but leaked 23 from his first two overs. India will hope the nerves settle quickly – Old Trafford can be unforgiving if you miss your lengths. Bumrah and Siraj, by contrast, beat the bat often enough to keep England honest without picking up reward.
So, honours shared? Probably. England’s openers have thrown a counter-punch, yet they still trail by 281. The pitch is lively, overcast skies linger, and India’s attack remains deeper than it looked in that stuttering first spell. Day two still has a session left; both sides know a clatter of wickets or a flurry of boundaries could tilt things for good.
