IND vs ENG 4th Test Day 3 LIVE : At End of Day 2: Ben Stokes grabbed his first five-wicket haul in eight years, while openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley hammered a 166-run stand to put England firmly on top in Manchester. After bowling India out for 358, England’s openers punished a wayward Indian attack, scoring briskly and shifting momentum heavily in their favor
At the end of Day 3, England firmly hold the upper hand after posting over 500 runs, likely batting India out of the match. Despite early discipline, India’s bowlers couldn’t hold on, with Root’s unbeaten 150 and late decisions like Sundar’s delayed spell adding to their woes.
England suffered a double blow late on Day 3 of the fourth Test at Old Trafford as Joe Root was dismissed for a superb 150 and captain Ben Stokes retired hurt after reaching a gritty half-century. England are 523/6 after 127 overs, leading India’s first-innings total of 358 by 165 runs, with Liam Dawson and Chris Woakes now at the crease.
England continue to dominate the Test match, reaching 488/4 after 114 overs and stretching their lead over India to 130 runs. Captain Ben Stokes has played a crucial supporting role, bringing up a well-paced half-century to complement Joe Root’s masterclass at the crease.
Despite injury concerns earlier in the day, Jasprit Bumrah returned to bowl in the final session as England reached 449/4 after 105 overs, leading India by 85 runs. Joe Root remains unbeaten on 129, having broken multiple records, surpassing Don Bradman for most home centuries against a single opponent and overtaking Steve Smith for the most Test centuries against India.
England are firmly in control at 434/4 after 101 overs, leading India’s first-innings score of 358 by 75 runs. But the spotlight is firmly on Joe Root, who reached multiple milestones in his latest century.Root now holds the record for most Test centuries against India, going past Steve Smith. He’s also surpassed Don Bradman for the most home centuries against a single opponent. In another major achievement, Root overtook Ricky Ponting to become second on the all-time Test run-scorers list, behind only Sachin Tendulkar.
Joe Root brought up another Test century, matching Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara in the all-time century count. With this knock, he has moved to within 20 runs of Ricky Ponting, the second-highest run-scorer in Test cricket. Root reached his hundred with a stylish boundary off Kamboj, intensifying the pressure on India while Jasprit Bumrah is off the field, leaving the bowling attack slightly weakened.
India hit back after Lunch with Washington Sundar removing Ollie Pope and Jonny Bairstow in quick succession. The sudden double blow broke England’s momentum after a strong first session. Joe Root, now joined by Ben Stokes, is closing in on a century.
India captain Shubman Gill’s tactical switch after the Lunch break turned out to be a game-changing move on Day 3 of the fourth Test. After a frustrating first session where England piled on 107 runs without losing a wicket, Gill handed the ball to Washington Sundar and it worked instantly. Sundar broke the 113-run stand by dismissing the well-set Ollie Pope, injecting some much-needed energy back into the Indian camp.
England, who had looked in complete control during the morning session, suddenly found themselves just 10 runs behind with renewed Indian pressure mounting. Gill’s sharp captaincy and Sundar’s tidy spell came at a crucial time for the visitors.
England trails India by just 26 runs after a wicketless first session. Ollie Pope and Joe Root both reached half-centuries, frustrating the Indian bowlers. Shubman Gill worked hard but lacked impact, while Jasprit Bumrah bowled tightly without breakthrough. India’s fielding was slightly off, making it crucial to seize every chance as this partnership grows.
England keeps piling on runs, leaving Indian bowlers struggling. Joe Root has now climbed to third place on the all-time Test run-scorers list, surpassing Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis. Root currently has 13,290 runs, trailing only Sachin Tendulkar (15,921) and Ricky Ponting (13,378).
Joe Root and Ollie Pope have given England a solid start at two-down on Day 3. The real challenge for India, however, is the unrelenting sunshine, offering no aid to the bowlers. With conditions flat and unresponsive, finding a breakthrough is becoming increasingly tough. Eng: 246 for 2.
As of now Manchester is enjoying sunny skies and mild conditions around 17°C. Temperatures are expected to climb to a high of 23°C as the day progresses. However, cloud cover may develop later, potentially impacting play. Any weather delays could prove pivotal on this critical Day 3.
Debutant Anshul Kamboj and seasoned all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja picked up a wicket each in the final session yesterday, providing India with a much-needed breakthrough.
England ended the day at 225/2, still trailing by 133 runs. Indian bowlers will aim to strike early in the first session of Day 3 to put England under pressure and shift the momentum.
IND vs ENG 4th Test Day 3 Live: Eng: ENG 225/2 at Day 2 Stumps, England Trail By 133 runs