Toss and Team News
England won the toss and chose to bowl first in Manchester, making it Ben Stokes’ fourth consecutive toss win. Indian captain Shubman Gill described it as a “good toss to lose,” citing a solid batting pitch combined with cloudy overhead conditions. Notably, no team has ever won a Test at Emirates Old Trafford after choosing to bowl first.
Stokes explained, “It’s a typical Manchester wicket: firm, with some grass. Decent overheads for bowling — we’re hoping to make the most of that early.”
India made three changes:
- Debut for Anshul Kamboj, seamer from Haryana and Chennai Super Kings.
- Sai Sudharsan replaced Karun Nair at No. 3.
- Shardul Thakur came in for the injured Nitish Kumar Reddy, while Akash Deep also made way.
Day 1 Highlights
Morning Session
India made a composed start, reaching 78 for 0 at lunch. KL Rahul (40*) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (36*) became the first overseas openers in a decade to remain unbeaten through a full morning session in a Test in England (with 20+ overs).
“India openers, as ever, showing good technique and skill. But the odd one has nipped and bounced,” noted Nasser Hussain.
Afternoon Session
- Rahul fell for 46.
- Jaiswal was dismissed by Liam Dawson in his comeback spell.
- England clawed back with 3 wickets while keeping India’s run rate under 3.
Tea: India 149 for 3
Evening Session
- Sai Sudharsan and Rishabh Pant built a 50-run stand in just 11.3 overs.
- Pant had to retire hurt (scored 37) after an under-edge off a reverse sweep hit his foot.
- Sudharsan reached his maiden Test fifty (off 134 balls).
- Stokes dismissed Sudharsan again, as in all his previous innings.
- Play ended with Jadeja and Thakur rotating strike cautiously.
Day 2 Highlights
Morning Session
- Ravindra Jadeja fell early to Jofra Archer.
- Rishabh Pant, despite a fractured foot, walked out to bat, earning a standing ovation.
- Shardul Thakur contributed 41 (88 balls).
- At lunch, India were 321 for 6.
Afternoon Session
- Stokes claimed his first five-wicket haul in 8 years.
- Debutant Kamboj walked off for a duck.
- Pant scored 54 before falling to Archer – his 7th left-handed wicket in this series.
- India ended their innings at 358 all out.
England Batting Response
- Tea: England 77 for 0
- Duckett hit a brisk 50 with 72% of his runs on the leg side.
- Crawley followed with a technically assured 50.
Evening Session
- Jadeja removed Crawley (84 off 113).
- Kamboj dismissed Duckett, earning his maiden Test wicket.
- England closed Day 2 on 225 for 2, scoring at nearly 5 runs an over.
Pope watch
Since his century in the first innings at Headingley over a month ago, Ollie Pope has scores of 8, 0, 24, 44 and 4. It follows a career trend where he starts series well but then tapers off.
What is in his favour in this Test though is that Duckett is all over India and with every little thing they do right, he finds a boundary from somewhere to reiterate that England are right on top here.
Pope could just bat in his slipstream and find form.
Root, Pope see off late test
England’s Nos 3 and 4 see off a tricky half-hour to take England to stumps at 225 for 2. That’s at a run rate of 4.89 after taking India’s last six wickets for under 100 runs. It’s England’s day.
Earlier in the day, Ben Stokes took his first five-for since 2017 to curb India’s advantage despite Rishabh Pant coming back to bat with a fractured foot. Kamboj did take a wicket on debut but that was after a rapid start for England. They’re well placed to wipe off the deficit of 133 and motor into a lead tomorrow.
Day 3
Joe Root almost run out on 22!
Ollie Pope reaches fifty
Having started the series with 107 in his first innings at Headingley, Ollie Pope has had a troubled time, following up with 8, 0, 24, 44 and 4. Finally, 34 days later, he has his second fifty-plus score of the series, and 25th overall.
Lunch – England 332 for 2 (Pope 70*, Root 63*) vs India 358
Washington gets Pope for 71! And Brook for 3!
Joe Root hits Test century No.38! Joe Root goes second on the Test runs list, England move into pole position
Joe Root’s 38th Test century took him up to second on the all-time Test runscorer’s list. And in typical Root fashion, his 121 and counting has raised England to a dominant position in this fourth Test, leading India by 75 in the first innings at tea on day three.
Ben Stokes retires hurt on 66!
It was during the 115th over that Stokes looked to have done something. He began stretching out his left calf, before the England physiotherapist Ben Davies came out to check on the skipper.
Stokes continued on for an over, but has decided after the 116th that he will leave the field. Jamie Smith has come in to replace him.
JOE ROOT IS OUT!
Jasprit Bumrah finally gets..
He dismissed Jamie Smith, caught behind, taken well by Dhruv Jurel diving forwards with the ball dying on its way through.
He now has 50 wickets in England. Only Ishant Sharma – one ahead – has more as far as Indian bowlers are concerned…
Stoke Returns
Stumps: England lead by 186
Day 4
Lead > 200, Stokes in 90s
Stokes century
Stokes out for 141
England 669 all out
India’s batting resumes
Jaiswal and Sai gone
Beautiful work from Chris Woakes. He starts around the wicket immediately to the left-hand batter.
Lunch: India 1 for 2
Fifty partnership between Gill and Rahul
Gill fifty
Tea: India trail by 225
Rahul fifty
Stumps: England lead by 137
Day 5
700 for Shubman
Shubman Gill has become the 36th man to score 700 runs in a single Test series this morning. The benchmark for Indian batters is Sunil Gavaskar’s 774 runs on a tour to West Indies in 1970/71.
Stokes strikes! Got Rahul’s wicket.
Stokes’ shoulder trouble
GIll matches Gavaskar and Kohli with four hundreds in a series
A brilliant, gutsy hundred from Gill
Shubman Gill is the third captain to score four centuries in a single Test series, after Don Bradman (vs India, 1947/48) and Sunil Gavaskar (vs West Indies, 1978/79)
Archer gets Gill!
50 partnership b/w Jadeja & Washington Sundar
7 Indian batters with 1,000-plus Test runs in England. The number was only four (Tendulkar, Dravid, Gavaskar, Kohli) at the start of this week, but KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and now Ravindra Jadeja have all reached the landmark.
India fight hard to keep series alive
Jadeja Climbing
Ravindra Jadeja has gone past Joe Root for runs in this series, and could soon make it four Indian batters out of four at the top of the list –
Most runs, Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, 2025
- 1. Shubman Gill (722 at 90.25)
- 2. KL Rahul (511 at 63.87)
- 3. Rishabh Pant (479 at 68.42)
- 4. Jamie Smith (424 at 84.80)
- 5. Ravindra Jadeja (411* at 102.75)
India edge closer
Draw offered… and turned down!
Ben Stokes extends a hand to the Indian batters at the drinks break, but a handshake is not forthcoming. Will India keep batting for another 15 overs? Or is this just to get Ravindra Jadeja his hundred? Either way, Harry Brook is into the attack to bowl some offbreaks…
Jadeja’s TON
Washing-ton!
India’s miraculous escape
It has happened before. It has happened again. Sport gives us moments to remember for a lifetime. It also gives us stories to tell our children and grandchildren. The latest tale of valour and invincibility has come from an Indian cricket team a bit short on experience, one hit by injury, and also pushed against the wall.
Phew, what a Test match.