Manchester, July 24 (UNI) Rishabh Pant’s courageous half-century, a five-wicket haul for Ben Stokes, and a blistering unbeaten start by Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett defined a dramatic Day 2 of the India-England Test at Old Trafford today.
After India folded for 358 in their first innings, England responded with a commanding 77/0 by Tea.
Resuming at 264/4, India added 57 runs on a rain-interrupted morning before lunch at 321/6 in 105 overs. Pant, returning to bat after a brief injury layoff, remained unbeaten on 39 at the break alongside Washington Sundar on 20.
India had a shaky start to the day with Ravindra Jadeja departing early for 20, edging Jofra Archer to Harry Brook at slip. Archer, returning to Test action with precision, bowled a probing spell that rattled the Indian middle and lower order.
Shardul Thakur played a fighting knock of 41 off 88 balls and defied the English attack until he edged Stokes to gully in the 102nd over.
Post-lunch, Washington Sundar (27 off 90) and Pant tried to push India past 350. Sundar fell to a short ball from Stokes, top-edging to Chris Woakes at fine leg, while Pant powered through pain to bring up his fifty in style, smashing Stokes through covers and launching Archer for a six over midwicket.
However, the end came quickly once Pant (54 off 75) was bowled by a peach from Archer that nipped away and sent the off stump cartwheeling, a near replica of his Lord’s dismissal last year. Jasprit Bumrah entertained briefly with a four off Archer and an inside-edge boundary, while Mohammed Siraj struck a clean drive off Stokes.
But it was Archer again who sealed India’s innings, dismissing Bumrah for 4 via a successful caught-behind review initiated by Joe Root. Archer finished with 3/73 and Stokes with a memorable 5/72, his first Test five-for in eight years.
In response, England openers came out blazing. Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley made India pay for inconsistent bowling, racing to 50 in just 61 balls. Duckett, in particular, was fluent, clipping anything on the pads and driving authoritatively. He struck seven boundaries before Tea and ended the session on 43*, while Crawley was equally elegant with his on-drives and flicks, reaching 33*.
India burned a review in the 12th over when Siraj thought he had Crawley LBW, but the ball was found to be bouncing over the stumps. Jasprit Bumrah and debutant Anshul Kamboj both leaked runs early, with Crawley and Duckett taking full advantage of loose deliveries down leg and overpitched balls.
The opening stand underlined England’s aggressive intent, as India struggled to find early breakthroughs on a placid pitch. With the weather forecast remaining unpredictable, both teams will look to force an edge going into the evening session.
