IND vs ENG highlights, 4th Test match Day 3: Joe Root’s 150 powers England to 544/7 at stumps

England picked up 5 runs in this over.

Root looked solid, finding a couple of twos, one smartly worked to wide mid-on and another nicely driven through the covers.

Only 2 runs came from this over.

Siraj kept things tight with good lines and Root and Pope picked up a single each.

Bumrah conceded 6 runs this over.

Root played a stylish cover drive for four and rotated the strike with a single and Pope chipped in with a run off a short ball.

Joe Root goes past Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis to become the third-highest run-scorer in Test cricket.

Some achievement by England’s modern-day great.

Just a single run came from this over.

Siraj bowled tight lines, giving Root and Pope little room to score.

England added 5 runs in this over.

Pope pulled a short ball for a boundary to bring up the team’s 250, and Root picked up a single earlier in the over.

Ollie Pope and Joe Root bring up half-century stand as England take control

Just a single run came from this over. Siraj troubled Root with good bounce and movement, even creating a missed run-out opportunity on the last ball.

Joe Root becomes the first to complete 1000 Test runs at Old Trafford. Having also amassed 2166 runs at Lord's, he becomes the third England batter to aggregate 1000-plus Test runs at two different venues, after Alastair Cook and Graham Gooch (both did that at Lord's and at The Oval)

Bumrah kept things tight with just 2 runs off the over. Both Pope and Root picked up a single each, but there was also a half-chance when Bumrah got Pope to play one just short of the fielder.

India take a review with Joe Root the man in question, but the replay shows the ball missing the stumps.

India lose the review.

Bumrah bowled a tight over, giving Pope no room to score. All six balls were dot deliveries, and he even beat Pope's outside edge once with some extra bounce.

That was a productive over for England—9 runs off it.

Both Root and Pope found boundaries, with Root playing a classy cut over gully and Pope edging one through the slips.

Just one over for Shardul, and now Bumrah has been brought on.

Root starts with a four off the very first delivery.

Maiden Over from Mohammed Siraj as Ollie Pope plays the entire over carefully.

This is a strange tactic from Shubman Gill.

Yesterday, he opened the bowling with debutant Anshul Kamboj, and today he’s started with Shardul Thakur.

It's Mohammed Siraj from the other end andsurprisingly, no Jasprit Bumrah to start the day.

Just 2 runs came from this over. Thakur kept things tight against Root with decent line and length as Root managed one couple through square leg.

England remains steady at 227 for 2 after 47 overs.

Joe Root and Ollie Pope at the crease.

Shardul Thakur has the ball in hand as India look for early breakthroughs.

Ollie Pope hasn’t set the stage on fire so far in the series, having scored 206 runs at an average of 34.33.

He will be eyeing a big score here, and conditions are unlikely to get better than this.

Day 3 at Old Trafford is shaping up perfectly for batting. According to Broad and Hussain, these are the ideal conditions teams hope for after choosing to bowl first in Manchester. The ball has softened a bit, and with the sun now out, batting is expected to be much easier than it was on Day 2 when cloud cover aided swing and movement. England’s bowlers made full use of those helpful conditions.

India, on the other hand, might be a little disappointed. Their bowlers struggled for control, often searching too hard for wickets, which led to poor lines—particularly against Ben Duckett. Broad pointed out that it's never easy to bowl on this rock-hard surface, especially when there’s uneven bounce from one end. He believes Shubman Gill made a tactical error by not letting Bumrah operate from that challenging end.

While there may be some turn today, spin is expected to play a more significant role on Days 4 and 5. For now, England will be eyeing a strong batting day and will aim to capitalise on the favourable conditions.

'Giving bowling is captain's call, not in my hands' - Shardul Thakur puts the ball in Shubman Gill's court on bowling strategy

Zak Crawley lauded Ben Stokes' leadership and bowling prowess after England's strong showing on Day 2 of the fourth Test. Crawley and Duckett's impressive opening partnership put England in a commanding position, trailing India by just 133 runs.

Addressing the recent controversy from the Lord’s Test, where India captain Shubman Gill claimed that England’s openers were 90 seconds late to start the innings, Crawley said...

Joe Root needs 108 more runs to surpass Ricky Ponting and become the second-highest run-scorer in Test cricket history.

Will he achieve this feat today?

Ben Stokes took a five-wicket haul yesterday and is now the leading wicket-taker in this series.

However, with the bat, he has been underwhelming so far.

Will Stokes step up with the bat today?

In Test cricket

Under Shubman Gill - 2 times in 4 Tests*

Under Virat Kohli - 2 times in 68 Tests
Under Rohit Sharma - 0 time in 24 Tests

Former England captain Michael Vaughan summed up the conditions perfectly with his social media post:

“It’s a lovely day in Manchester .. glorious Sunshine .. it’s a batting day .. #ENGvIND”.

After a gloomy start to the Test match, Day 3 has opened up under bright skies—ideal for batting.

Former cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar believes India were hard done by the weather at Old Trafford and should be "glad" to end Day 2 with two wickets in hand in the fourth Test against England in Manchester.

India struggled to build momentum on the opening day under overcast skies, as their batters fell victim to the sharp seam movement and England's persistent short-ball strategy. Despite the challenging conditions, they managed to post a respectable 358.

However, when England came out to bat, the conditions shifted. The clouds made way for clear skies and sunshine, altering the mood and nature of the pitch. Although India had the new ball in hand, inconsistent lines from their bowlers saw them lose control of the game.

"What this tells us is that India were a bit hard done by the weather gods. During their batting, there were dark grey clouds, some moisture -- it looked like a black-and-white movie at one point. But today, the pitch really eased up, and the skies cleared," Manjrekar said on JioHotstar.

"Suddenly, it looked like a completely different Test match. England could very well get a big score, because even someone like Jasprit Bumrah found it hard to bowl a wicket-taking delivery on this surface. So yes, India will be glad they got those two wickets when they did," he added.

England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett took full advantage of the easier conditions, dismantling India’s pace attack before turning their attention to spin. Jasprit Bumrah was unusually ineffective, Mohammed Siraj lacked intensity, and debutant Anshul Kamboj – drafted in due to injuries to Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, and Akash Deep – toiled hard to settle into rhythm.

Kamboj partnered Bumrah with the new ball but failed to maintain control, bowling a wayward spell that allowed Crawley and Duckett to settle in. By the time Shubman Gill introduced spin and Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Crawley, the pair had already put together a 166-run opening stand.

"It's tough, especially for someone making his debut. Ben Duckett was merciless and targeted Kamboj just because he was new. There wasn't much in the pitch for him. Bumrah looked the least threatening he has this entire series -- so we have to see the other bowlers in that light too," Manjrekar said.

"Shardul Thakur bowled a few good balls, but there's always a boundary around the corner with him. That will be a problem for India -- the run rate. Perhaps spin should have come on earlier. Jadeja only came in after the 26th over, and that's something the team management may need to rethink when conditions offer nothing for seam," he added.

Kamboj eventually found his rhythm and dismissed Duckett for 94, drawing an edge that was safely taken by Dhruv Jurel behind the stumps. Manjrekar felt the 24-year-old showed promise on a pitch that offered him little assistance.

"I'm very happy for Kamboj -- there are clear signs that he has potential. He's got a simple, repeatable action, but he can't afford to bowl back of a length or good length at under 130 kph. That's an area for improvement. To be fair, the pitch also changed dramatically on Day 2, so he didn't get much help either," he concluded.

India’s bowlers will look to strike early and seize control of the fourth Test, with England still trailing by 133 runs.

Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, and debutant Anshul Kamboj will need to work in tandem to make the opening session count.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has strongly criticised the International Cricket Council (ICC)'s current concussion substitute policy, suggesting it lacks consistency and fairness.

Speaking during the fourth Test between India and England in Manchester, Gavaskar argued that if concussion substitutes are allowed, there should also be provisions for injury replacements, especially in cases as clear as Rishabh Pant’s fractured foot.

“I’ve always felt that you are giving a like-for-like substitute for incompetence,” Gavaskar told Sony Sports.

“If you are not good enough to play short-pitched bowling, don’t play Test cricket; go and play tennis or golf. You are giving a substitute for somebody who gets hit because he can't handle it.”

Pant, despite being seriously injured, returned to bat and scored a courageous fifty in India’s first innings of 358. However, his continued participation in the match — and possibly the series — is now unlikely.

Gavaskar questioned why a substitute is permitted for a head blow but not for an obvious injury.

“Here, it is a clear injury. There has to be a substitute. Let an independent committee, including medical experts, be formed to make these decisions,” he said.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan, who was part of the discussion, agreed with Gavaskar and called for rule changes to protect the quality of the game.

“If a footballer breaks a leg early in a match, they can be substituted. Why should cricket be any different?” Vaughan said. “Pant has a broken foot. He can’t play again in this match or the next. We need a clear protocol for like-for-like injury replacements in such situations.”

With high-profile voices weighing in, the debate over injury substitutions in Test cricket is likely to intensify more.

In gloomy conditions at Old Trafford, India looked like they were going to do an encore of Gabba 2021. Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar’s gritty 48-run partnership, against the new ball, started the fight on the second morning of the fourth Test.

Rishabh Pant, coming back after retiring hurt on Wednesday evening, added 17 runs with a fractured right foot in an exhibition of indomitable spirit. The circumstances leading to Thursday morning resembled India’s tour of Australia in 2020-21. The characters in play were the same. It all seemed to be going according to plan when India reached 358 battling against the likes of Ben Stokes, who had spectacular figures of 5/72, and Jofra Archer’s spell of 3/73. All that fight evaporated when the sun broke out as England openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley plundered the Indian bowling for 166 runs in 32 overs.

That opening partnership laid the foundation for England to finish the day at 225/2 in 46 overs, closing in on India’s first-innings score in double quick time. India did rediscover some of the fight, claiming two wickets in six overs through Ravindra Jadeja and debutant Anshul Kamboj’s dismissals of Crawley and Duckett, for 84 and 94 respectively.

Jasprit Bumrah’s late burst gave Joe Root a few nervy moments but it didn’t yield any results. Captain Shubman Gill looked completely out of depth and appeared in no control of the proceedings.

Gill and his bowlers will be desperate to turn a corner early on Friday morning or else they could see the match and the series running away from them very quickly with Ollie Pope and Joe Root batting on 20 and 11 respectively. India’s seam bowling looked the flattest in the most favourable conditions in the series.

It’s safe to say they played their most ordinary cricket in the series after the last two sessions of the first Test in Leeds. Bumrah was the only one who turned up looking at his usual best, but his good work was undone as Kamboj struggled to find any rhythm with the new ball. The nerves of playing a Test match kicked in and the 24-year-old Kamboj lost his line.

He was significantly down on pace as well in his first spell. Once he leaked a few boundaries, mostly on the leg-side, it became a template. Mohammed Siraj, on the back of two good Test matches, too leaked runs on both sides of the wicket.

Shardul Thakur, too, never settled down on a line and length. The outfield quickening up in the sun left the Indian bowlers with lesser room for error. It was like watching two different Indian teams on the field. When Archer removed Jadeja for 20 with the new ball at the score of 266/5 in the second over of the day, India’s capitulation seemed a matter of time. The ball flew past the edges of the bats of Thakur and Washington. Like they did in Gabba all those years ago, the duo batted sensibly to frustrate Stokes and Archer.

Stokes eventually worked out both of them, dismissing Thakur for 41 off 88 and Washington 27 off 90. And when Pant went about middling the balls he played, it seemed India had got the momentum going in their favour. India’s resistance with the bat had managed to hurt England’s ego in trying conditions.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting didn’t mince words as he dissected India’s tactics on Day 2 of the fourth Test at Old Trafford. With England’s openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett putting on a commanding 166-run stand, Ponting labelled Shubman Gill’s side as “tactically off.”

Speaking on Sky Sports, Ponting took aim at India’s field placements and new-ball strategy — particularly the decision to hand debutant Anshul Kamboj the new ball alongside Jasprit Bumrah.

“They got scored off on both sides of the wicket, didn’t they?” Ponting remarked. “I think they were tactically off as well. I don’t think Kamboj should have taken the new ball. I didn’t like that from the start.”

Duckett capitalised on the loose lines early, hammering five of his first six boundaries behind square on the leg side.

“They were tactically wrong there,” Ponting added. “Even watching now, Bumrah is bowling from the wrong end. Most wickets have come from the Statham End, and he’s done most of his work from the Anderson End. They’ve been off in execution — and tactically, too.”

At stumps, England were 225/2 in 46 overs, trailing India’s first-innings total of 358 by 133 runs. Duckett (94) and Crawley (84) both missed out on centuries, but their aggressive opening partnership ensured the hosts seized momentum heading into Day 3.

Kamboj, brought in due to a depleted Indian pace attack, eventually claimed his maiden Test wicket — dismissing Duckett, caught behind by Dhruv Jurel.

With England leading the series 2-1, a win in Manchester would seal the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. But Ponting’s sharp critique made it clear: India will need a serious tactical course correction if they hope to force a decider at The Oval.

England seized the upper hand on Day 2 of the fourth Test against India at Old Trafford, closing Thursday’s play at 225/2 — trailing India’s first-innings total of 358 by just 133 runs. A commanding 166-run opening partnership between Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley put the hosts in a strong position, despite Rishabh Pant’s earlier fighting half-century.

Duckett and Crawley resumed the final session at 77 without loss and continued to punish the Indian bowlers. Duckett reached his fifty with a boundary off Shardul Thakur, which also brought up England’s 100. Crawley soon followed, bringing up his own half-century with a boundary off Thakur in the 21st over. The duo took England past 150 in the 29th over, with another Duckett boundary — this time off Mohammed Siraj.

Former England captain Nasser Hussain was scathing in his assessment of India’s performance and team decisions.

“Slightly changing conditions, but they bowled very poorly. A change in overhead conditions doesn't make you bowl both sides of the wicket. Too many balls on the pads. Captain's decisions... didn't quite agree with, to be honest. Kamboj wasn't in the squad a week ago, to bring him into the team and give him a new ball ahead of Siraj... seems odd,” Hussain said on Sky Sports.

He elaborated further: “I would've gone for Siraj for a short burst, then switched him to the other end to follow Bumrah. We've all been talking about the green channel on the strip across... this is the end where Stokes bowled and got his fifer, and got uneven bounce and sideways movement. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong.”

Hussain also referenced India’s earlier batting efforts: “Rishabh Pant went out there on one leg and got valuable runs today. They've just handed those runs back to England."

India finally broke through in the 32nd over when Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Crawley for 84 off 113 balls, caught at slip by KL Rahul. Duckett continued attacking but fell short of his century, edging debutant Anshul Kamboj to wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel for 94 from 100 balls — giving the young pacer his maiden Test wicket.

England crossed the 200-run mark in the 39th over, with Ollie Pope hitting a boundary off Kamboj. By stumps, Pope (20*) and Joe Root (11*) had built an unbeaten 28-run stand to guide England safely through to the close.

For India, Kamboj returned figures of 1/48 from 10 overs, while Jadeja finished with 1/37 from 8.

India’s latest Test debutant, Anshul Kamboj, made an immediate impact on Day 2 of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Manchester, claiming the key wicket of Ben Duckett to break a dominant English opening stand and breathe life into India’s bowling effort.

The 24-year-old Haryana pacer, who was drafted into the squad following injuries to several frontline quicks, delivered a sharp back-of-a-length ball that climbed unexpectedly on Duckett. The England opener, batting on 94, could only edge it to stand-in wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel. It was Kamboj’s first Test wicket, and his passionate celebration — arms outstretched, a roar of emotion — captured the magnitude of the moment.

Speaking to broadcasters after stumps, Kamboj remained modest and composed about his performance.

“I felt good. I tried to start by bowling in good areas… I am not satisfied with my bowling,” he said with a chuckle. “I tried to come and bowl. I would have done better.”

He acknowledged the nerves that came with making his debut in a high-stakes series.

“I just tried to act a little more in the first two spells. But in the third spell, I backed my strengths more,” he explained. “Tomorrow, we’ll try to bowl tight, not give many boundaries. Because they’re looking for boundaries, not singles.”

Kamboj also spoke about the invaluable learning experience of bowling alongside India’s pace spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah.

“There is so much to learn. When you are bowling with Jasprit Bumrah, you get to learn a lot. We keep having discussions about what we need to do, so I have to adapt accordingly,” he said.

Kamboj’s rise from the India A setup to the senior Test side has been swift, and his composed debut — highlighted by a vital breakthrough — suggests he belongs at this level. With his first wicket in the bag and lessons already being absorbed, the young pacer has taken a promising first step in what could be a long and successful international career.

India ended Day 2 with renewed belief, thanks in part to a debutant who made his presence felt when it mattered most.

Former India head coach and World Cup-winning all-rounder Ravi Shastri has offered rare insight into the massive off-field earnings of India’s top cricketers, comparing their commercial appeal to global icons like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Appearing on the ‘Stick to Cricket’ podcast alongside Michael Vaughan, Shastri was candid when asked about the kind of money Indian cricketers make through endorsements.

“They earn a lot. They earn a lot through endorsements, for sure,” Shastri said. “Upwards of Rs 100 crores. Which would say 10 million pounds.”

The revelation stunned the panel, as Shastri explained the numbers further:
“I would say… you just calculate 100 rupees is a pound. So you work backwards and you calculate upwards of that because someone like MS Dhoni or a Virat Kohli or a Sachin Tendulkar at his pomp — they would do over 15, 20 ads.”

Shastri also highlighted how tightly packed schedules impact the way players manage these deals.

“It’s per day. There’s no time. They could easily do more because of the amount of cricket being played. So, you know, they’ll do an ad for a year and give a day — just one day to shoot. That’s all you’ll get. And then you play it out as many times as you want.”

His comments underline cricket’s unmatched cultural status in India — akin to the role football plays in nations like Brazil or Argentina. Icons like Dhoni, Kohli, and Tendulkar not only command massive fanbases at home but also enjoy global influence, with endorsement portfolios and social media reach rivaling the likes of Messi and Ronaldo.

In a stirring display of courage and class, Rishabh Pant once again proved why he is India’s heartbeat in Test cricket, battling through a toe injury to script a fighting fifty on Day 2 of the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford. The left-hander walked out to bat with a visible limp after Shardul Thakur’s dismissal, triggering a standing ovation from the Manchester crowd — and admiration from cricketing legends worldwide.

Pant, undeterred by pain, struck 54 off 75 balls, peppered with three boundaries and two sixes, matching Virender Sehwag’s all-time Indian record of 90 sixes in Test cricket. His brave effort, however, was more than just numbers.

India’s cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar led the chorus of praise, posting on X: “Resilience is about playing through pain and rising above it. @RishabhPant17 showed tremendous character by walking back into the game with an injury and delivering a performance like that. His fifty is a powerful reminder of the grit and determination it takes to represent your country.”

Former all-rounder Yuvraj Singh echoed the sentiment on Instagram, writing: “True spirit shows up when the spirit is indomitable! Injury can shake the body but not the mind, good stuff @rishabhpant.”

Veteran pacer Ishant Sharma also lauded Pant’s grit in an interview with ANI: “This shows how mentally strong he is. If someone does not give up in life, then they can make a comeback in life.”

Pant’s knock was not only inspirational but historic. He overtook Rohit Sharma to become India’s leading run-scorer in the World Test Championship era, now sitting on 2731 runs in 38 Tests. The fifty in Manchester also pushed him past MS Dhoni in 50+ scores for Indian wicketkeepers — Pant now has 14, compared to Dhoni’s 13.

In pain, but never in doubt, Pant’s innings was a celebration of resilience, a moment that left fans and legends alike in awe — and one that will be etched in the folklore of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

Hello and welcome to the Live coverage of Day 3 of the fourth Test match between India and England at Old Trafford in Manchester.

Half-centuries from Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley put England firmly in control on Day 2 of the fourth Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test at Old Trafford, after captain Ben Stokes claimed his first five-wicket haul in eight years.

By stumps, England had reached 225/2 in just 46 overs, trailing India’s first-innings total of 358 by only 133 runs. Stokes’ superb spell of 5/72 helped dismiss India earlier in the day, despite a courageous 54 from Rishabh Pant, who batted with a fractured right foot — a knock already being hailed as unforgettable.

Openers Duckett (94) and Crawley (84) stitched together a blistering 166-run stand off 195 balls, shaking India’s bowling attack. Both fell short of their centuries, but with Joe Root (11*) and Ollie Pope (20*) unbeaten at the close, England will back themselves to secure a first-innings lead.

The final session began with Crawley cracking three boundaries, and both openers raced to their fifties — Crawley in 73 balls and Duckett in just 46. Even with Shardul Thakur and Ravindra Jadeja introduced into the attack, the English openers kept the scoreboard ticking with ease.

India finally broke through on the last ball of the 32nd over when Crawley edged a turning delivery from Jadeja to first slip, where KL Rahul took a sharp low catch. He departed for 84 off 113 balls.

Duckett continued to counterattack, hitting three boundaries off Mohammed Siraj. But he too fell short of a ton, chasing a short and wide delivery from debutant Anshul Kamboj and edging to wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel — handing Kamboj his maiden Test wicket.

Root and Pope then opted for a cautious approach. Root survived a close lbw call off Jasprit Bumrah, with replays showing the ball’s impact was outside off stump. The pair ensured no further damage as England ended the day strongly, well placed to push for a lead on Day 3.