Rishabh Pant made a surprise return to bat and scored a defiant half-century despite injury, but England took firm control of the fourth Test at Old Trafford on Thursday.
Pant, who retired hurt on the opening day after injuring his foot attempting a reverse sweep, came back to resume his innings on day two. Battling visible pain and limping heavily, the Indian wicketkeeper-batter managed to score 54 before being bowled by Jofra Archer. His courageous knock helped India post 358 all out in their first innings.
“He was in serious pain. We’ve seen him do incredible things before — this was just another remarkable effort,” teammate Shardul Thakur said.
England, however, responded aggressively. Openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett put on a commanding 166-run stand, guiding the hosts to 225-2 by stumps, just 133 runs behind India’s total. Duckett made 94, narrowly missing a century, while Crawley scored 84. Both batsmen hit 13 boundaries each, with Crawley also clearing the ropes once.
“The boys are really pleased. We’re in a strong position,” Crawley said. Ollie Pope (20*) and Joe Root (11*) were unbeaten at close of play.
England lead the five-match series 2-1.
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Pant’s return was the focal point early in the day, especially after reports suggested he might have fractured his foot. He came in after Thakur fell for 41, walking in slowly to a rousing ovation. Despite his discomfort, he added 17 more runs to his overnight 37.
“He was incredible. We weren’t sure how mobile he’d be — whether he could even run a two,” Crawley admitted.
Earlier in the morning, England removed Ravindra Jadeja (20) and Thakur to gain early momentum.
Later, England's aggressive response continued after tea, as Crawley and Duckett kept the scoreboard ticking. Duckett’s dismissal for 94, caught off Anshul Kamboj, came as a disappointment, while Crawley was dismissed by Jadeja.
Captain Ben Stokes starred with the ball, finishing with 5-72 — his first five-wicket haul in eight years and bringing his series tally to 16 wickets. He dismissed Gill (12), Sudharsan (61), Thakur, Sundar (27), and Kamboj (0).
“He’s just relentless,” Crawley said. “His attitude, his leadership, and his bowling have been brilliant this series.”
Source: Agency