India vs England 4th Test Day 1:
The much-anticipated fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy has kicked off at Manchester's Old Trafford. With India batting first, they reached 264 runs for 4 wickets by the day's end. A significant blow for India came when Rishabh Pant was injured and had to leave the field after being hit by a ball from Woakes.
Shardul Thakur and Ravindra Jadeja remain unbeaten.
The match started with England's captain Ben Stokes winning the toss and inviting India to bat first. With England leading the enthralling five-match series 2-1, this encounter is pivotal for India, making it a do-or-die battle. A loss here would see England claim the series.
India's First Innings Scorecard:
Fall of Wickets:
94-1 (K.L. Rahul, 29.6), 120-2 (Yashasvi Jaiswal, 40.1), 140-3 (Shubman Gill, 49.1), 235-4 (Sai Sudharsan, 73.5)
India's Playing XI for Manchester:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, K.L. Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Anshul Kamboj
England's Playing XI for Manchester:
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.
India's Test Record at Manchester:
India first played a Test at Old Trafford in 1936. Over the past 89 years, India has participated in 9 Tests on this ground but has never emerged victorious. The team faced defeat in 4 matches, while 5 ended in draws.
Old Trafford Pitch Conditions:
The pitch at Manchester's Old Trafford is often favorable for pace bowlers, especially under cloudy conditions expected for the next 5 days. Since 2000, spin bowlers have taken only 147 wickets in 20 Tests here, averaging 39.95, while pacers have claimed 477 wickets with averages under 30. Chasing a target in the fourth innings is notoriously challenging.
Manchester Toss Record:
Only 4 teams have successfully chased runs at Manchester, with the highest target being 294 runs. Captains winning the toss usually prefer to bat first. Notably, teams that opted to field first after winning the toss have never won a match here; of the 11 instances, 4 resulted in losses, and 7 in draws.
Weather Forecast in Manchester:
Light rain is expected over the next five days, potentially interrupting play. In early season county matches, large scores were achieved in the first innings, but that hasn't been the case beyond May. With recent rains, teams may opt to field first, though it's a complex decision.
Old Trafford Test Matches (Since 2000):
Total Matches: 20 Wins Batting First: 9 Wins Bowling First: 7 Draws: 4 Highest Score: England 592 vs. Australia (2023) Lowest Score: New Zealand 114 vs. England (2008) Highest Target Chased: England 294/4 vs. New Zealand (2008)
Toss Factors at Old Trafford (Since 2000):
Decision to bat first on winning the toss: 17 (7 wins, 7 losses, 3 draws) Decision to field first: 3 (2 wins, 1 loss)
India's Record at Old Trafford:
Total matches: 9, Wins: 0, Draws: 5, Losses: 4 Last Outcome (2014): India lost by an inning and 54 runs
Records Expected at Manchester:
- Joe Root is on the verge of becoming the fifth highest run-getter in Manchester's Test history (13,259). By match's end, he could surpass Ricky Ponting (13,378) to claim the second spot. - Shubman Gill entered the tour with 1,893 Test runs, having added 607 more, significantly boosting his career record by over 30%. - Dawson has been in exemplary form in first-class cricket, claiming five-wicket hauls in 12 of the 15 games since 2021, including three 10-wicket performances. - Sachin Tendulkar's maiden Test century at Old Trafford remains the last individual century by an Indian on this ground. India has played only once here in the past 30 years.
