Gill and Rahul’s Historic Partnership

In a remarkable display of resilience, Shubman Gill and KL Rahul forged a record-breaking partnership to keep India’s hopes alive in the fourth Test against England. After a challenging start, with India losing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan for no runs, Gill and Rahul took charge. Their 174-run stand not only stabilized the innings but also set a new record for the highest partnership after a team had been reduced to 0 for two, surpassing the previous best of 105 by Mohinder Amarnath and Gundappa Vishwanath.

England’s Dominance with Stokes’ Heroics

Earlier, England had asserted their dominance with a commanding total of 669, thanks to Ben Stokes’ brilliant 141 off 198 balls. Stokes’ performance was complemented by his five-wicket haul on Friday, putting England in a strong position with a massive 311-run lead. Despite this, Gill (78 not out) and Rahul (87 not out) showed immense patience and skill to cut down the deficit significantly by stumps on day four.

India’s Fightback Against England’s Bowling

Facing a formidable English bowling attack, Gill and Rahul displayed exceptional technique and temperament. They navigated through challenging spells from Jofra Archer and other pacers, who extracted movement from the pitch. While England tried various strategies, including short balls, the Indian duo remained unfazed. Gill survived a testing spell targeting his pads, while Rahul’s elegant square cuts drew comparisons to legends like Gordon Greenidge and Virender Sehwag.

The Road Ahead for India

As India ended the day at 174 for two, trailing by 137 runs, the focus shifts to how they will approach the final day. With the pitch at Old Trafford being slow and dry this season, producing no results in previous county games, India will aim to capitalize on this knowledge. The partnership between Gill and Rahul has given India a fighting chance to salvage a result from this Test.