Both score fifties; Rishabh Pant retires hurt on 37 after suffering another injury
Manchester: Sai Sudharsan made the opportunity count in his comeback game with a fifty while Rishabh Pant suffered another injury as India played the old-fashioned way to reach 264 for four at stumps on day one of the fourth Test here on Wednesday.
At stumps, Ravindra Jadeja (19 batting off 37) and Shardul Thakur (19 batting off 36) were holding the fort in fading light.
Put in to bat in overcast conditions, Indian openers KL Rahul (46 off 98 balls) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (58 off 107) put on 94 runs for their highest stand of the series before Sudharsan (61 off 151) produced a dogged knock under pressure to justify his selection over Karun Nair.
Batting alongside Sudharsan, Pant (37 retired hurt off 48) had just started flexing his muscles before missing a reverse hit off a full ball from Chris Woakes.
The impact of the ball was on Pant’s right foot, leaving him in a lot of pain and eventually he had to be taken off the field in a golf cart.
There were also blood stains on the foot, enough to unsettle the Indian fans and the dressing room. Pant had come into this must-win game after recovering from a finger injury he suffered while keeping during the Lord’s Test.
Earlier, the sun barely made an appearance, but the sluggish surface negated England’s pace advantage. Despite the cloud cover, the Indian openers negotiated the movement and bounce with discipline, taking India to 78/0 at lunch.
After the break, England hit back as Woakes found Rahul’s edge before Dawson removed Jaiswal with a non-turner. Gill misjudged an incoming delivery from Stokes, leaving India at 149/3.
Sudharsan remained composed under pressure, surviving an edge and sledging from the fielders. He brought up his maiden Test fifty before falling to a short ball from Stokes, caught at fine leg.
Pant’s counter-attacking knock included a six off Carse and a sweep off Archer, but his innings was cut short by the blow to his foot.
India’s day ended with Jadeja and Thakur seeing off the second new ball, keeping India steady at 264/4 in 83 overs.
