Gill, Rahul Steady India After Woakes' Double Blow; Trail England by 225

Gill, Rahul Steady India After Woakes' Double Blow; Trail England by 225

Shubman Gill and KL Rahul produced a resolute fightback in the middle session of day four at Old Trafford, ensuring India went into tea without further damage after a dramatic start to their second innings. With India still trailing England by 225 runs, the pair's unbeaten partnership gave the visitors a sliver of hope in what has been a dominant showing by the hosts.

India ended the session at 86 for 2, after being rocked early by Chris Woakes, who struck twice in a fiery first over before lunch. Woakes dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal for a duck and Sai Sudharsan for 0, reducing India to 0 for 2 in a blink.

But Gill and Rahul absorbed the pressure with composure. Gill, continuing his remarkable run of form, brought up his fourth fifty of the series and remained unbeaten on 52 at the break. Rahul, solid at the other end, contributed a fluent 30 not out, as the duo kept England’s bowlers at bay during a wicketless session.

Gill, who was handed a reprieve on 46 when Liam Dawson put down a sharp chance at gully, capitalized on the opportunity and moved past Virat Kohli's tally of 655 runs against England in 2016. He now eyes Sunil Gavaskar's Indian record for most runs in a Test series as captain — 732 runs — as he continues his prolific campaign.

Earlier in the day, Ben Stokes powered England to a mammoth 669, giving them a commanding 311-run first-innings lead. Stokes, who had already claimed a five-wicket haul in India's first innings, added a gritty 141 to his tally — ending a run of 35 innings without a century. His all-round brilliance placed him in elite company, joining Garry Sobers and Jacques Kallis as only the third player to have over 7000 Test runs and 200 wickets.

England's total was their fifth-highest in Test history, showcasing their dominance in the match. However, Stokes refrained from bowling in India’s second innings, perhaps feeling the effects of back-to-back Tests and the workload he carried in the first innings.

With two days of play remaining and a daunting task ahead, India will rely heavily on the partnership between Gill and Rahul to avoid defeat and keep the series hopes alive.

Tea, Day 4:
India 258 & 86/2 (Gill 52, Rahul 30, Woakes 2-25)** trail England 669 (Stokes 141) by 225 runs.

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