Manchester, July 24, 2025 – England asserted their dominance on Day 2 of the fourth Test against India at Old Trafford, delivering a commanding performance with both ball and bat to take firm control of the match.
Resuming at 264/4, India hoped to build a strong first-innings total, but England’s bowlers had other plans. Jofra Archer struck early, dismissing Ravindra Jadeja with a sharp delivery that found the edge, safely taken by Harry Brook in the slips. Though Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar steadied things briefly with a 48-run stand, Thakur departed for 41. In a show of grit, Rishabh Pant took the field despite a fractured foot and notched up a courageous half-century. However, India’s tail offered little resistance, with Ben Stokes ripping through the lower order to claim his first five-wicket haul since 2017, restricting India to 358.
England’s response was nothing short of aggressive. Openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett took charge from the onset, hammering the Indian bowlers and putting together a 166-run opening stand. Their attacking intent quickly erased India’s lead, with England reducing the deficit to just 133 runs by stumps.
India finally found some respite when Jadeja dismissed Crawley for a fluent 84. Soon after, debutant Anshul Kamboj celebrated his maiden Test wicket by removing Duckett for a brisk 94, narrowly missing out on a century.
Despite those setbacks, England continued to march ahead, with Joe Root and Ollie Pope showing composure against a probing spell from Jasprit Bumrah. England ended the day strongly at 225/2, firmly in control and eyeing a first-innings lead.
With the momentum clearly in England’s favor, India face a tough challenge on Day 3 to wrestle back control in this pivotal Test match.