IND vs ENG Live Score, 4th Test Match Day 5: KL Rahul, Shubman Gill and rain
England are anxiously waiting to see if star all-rounder Ben Stokes will be fit to bowl on the final day of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, after KL Rahul and Shubman Gill's defiant partnership left the hosts short of answers without their strike bowler.
Stokes, the leading wicket-taker in the series, did not bowl a single over in India's second innings across 63 overs on Day 4. India finished the day at 174/2, thanks to an unbroken 174-run stand between Rahul and Gill for the third wicket. The England camp later revealed that Stokes was feeling "stiff and sore", and a final decision on his availability will be made following an overnight medical assessment.
India, who had slumped early in their innings, staged a remarkable recovery as Rahul and Gill batted through two full sessions without losing a wicket. England's attack, particularly once the ball softened, appeared toothless without Stokes' ability to break partnerships or create pressure out of nowhere.
Their only real opportunity came when Gill mistimed a shot off Brydon Carse, but Liam Dawson put down the chance at backward point — a drop that encapsulated England's frustrating day.
Having returned from hamstring surgery earlier this year, Stokes underwent an intense rehabilitation programme to be ready for this marquee series against India. His commitment has shown — he's already bowled 129 overs in the series, the most he's ever delivered in a single Test series.
Stokes retired hurt due to cramps on Day 3 but returned to the field and later scored a brilliant 141 on Day 4, his first Test century in over two years.
"He's a bit stiff and sore," said England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick, speaking to ESPNcricinfo.
"He's had a big workload over the past few weeks. Batting for that long in the first innings took a toll — he was cramping up. We're hopeful that with a night's rest and more physio work, he'll be good to go tomorrow."
Stokes was seen clutching his hamstring while fielding, raising concerns. However, Trescothick downplayed the incident.
"It's just a build-up. From where he's come from to where he is now, it's a massive workload. We're trying to manage that. Yesterday's cramps raised a bit of concern, but we'll see how he pulls up in the morning," he added.
Interestingly, England had already decided not to use Stokes with the ball on Day 4, acknowledging the risk of overworking him. His physical strain has been evident — after bowling 19.2 overs on the final day at Lord's to secure a win, Stokes admitted he had to spend four days in bed recovering. At Old Trafford, he has already bowled 24 overs across two days, claiming 5/72 — but it appears to have taken a significant toll.
"If he were off the field, he wouldn't be eligible to bowl tomorrow," Trescothick clarified.
Stokes hasn't played white-ball cricket in nearly two years and has opted out of The Hundred. He's unlikely to return to competitive action until the Ashes begin in November.
With the Test — and possibly the series — hanging in the balance, England will be hoping their inspirational captain has one final spell left in him.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
HT Archives: Laker's mark: Eng off-spinner takes out 10 in 1 innings
When Jim Laker produced a 'perfect 10' England's Jim Laker (second from right) walks off the field at Old Trafford after taking all ten Australian wickets for just 53 runs in the second innings to win England the match and increase his personal haul for the match to a world-record 19 wickets. (PA Images via Getty Images) Great achievements that magnify human endeavour have a timeless quality — climbing Mount Everest for the first time or running the first sub-four minute mile, for instance. Test cricket's greatest single performance came in the summer of 1956, when England off-spinner Jim Laker made history by becoming the first bowler to capture all 10 wickets in an innings. Laker's magnificent 10/53 came in the Australian second innings of the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford, after a near-perfect storm had hit their first innings where he captured 9/37. Laker's match haul of 19/90 remains the greatest bowling feat in Test cricket by some distance. No one else has claimed more than 17 wickets even in the history of first-class cricket. 'An astonishing performance' was how Australia legend Richie Benaud, one of those swept up in the wake of Laker's relentless performance, would recall that performance at a 50th year anniversary in London. It had been 12 years since Don Bradman's retirement and Australia were a weak side. England had won the previous two Ashes series in 1953 and 1954. Laker, a medium-pacer and batsman to start with, was advised while serving in the British army that he switch to bowling off-spin to get into the strong Army team. The Yorkshire-born who would dazzle on Lancashire turf, rose to prominence after joining Surrey county. At The Oval, he and left-arm spinner Tony Lock proved a great combination on turning pitches. Although there was an 8/21 for England versus Rest in 1950, and a 11-wicket Test haul the next year to beat South Africa, he wasn't a regular yet. Laker though made his presence felt in the county scene. In 1952, he took 100 wickets for Surrey alone and was named one of the five Cricketers of the Year by Wisden. His first brush with Australia was against Bradman's 1948 side, but his impact wasn't great. However, the Laker of 1956 was a different deal. Armed with a slightly round-arm action with a nice flight, he was tellingly accurate too. And the Laker lightning did strike twice that summer. Earlier on the tour, playing for Surrey at the Oval, he captured 10/88 in the visitors' first innings. It would thus be the only time a bowler would take a 10-for twice in a season. Lock was in step, capturing 7/49 in the second innings to dismiss the Aussies for 107. The first Test was drawn and the visitors won the next at Lord's by 185 runs. England won the third Test at Leeds as Australia struggled against the two finger spinners of different qualities. 'They could both play, it wasn't disruptive,' recalled former England batsman Peter Richardson, who made his Test debut in that series, in a 2006 get-together, in comments compiled in a Grandstand cricket podcast. A powder-dry Old Trafford pitch was bad enough, and when England skipper Peter May won the toss and the hosts amassed 459, Australia were clearly struggling. Lock removed one of the openers, but it was Laker all the way after that. Australia batsmen were more comfortable playing the orthodox left-arm spinner, dealing with him as they would a leg-break bowler to the right-hander. Laker claimed 9/37 in the first innings as Australia were shot out for 84. Australia leg-spin great, Bill O'Reilly, in his special report of the Test for Hindustan Times, describes it thus: 'From the time that May switched his spinners round to let Laker bowl with the gentle breeze from the same end as (Australian off-spinner Ian) Johnson had collected four wickets, the procession began and nine victims fell foul of the off-spinner's accurate bowling. 'Lock gave an outstanding example of the manner in which a bowler can bowl too well to get wickets. Time and again, he got orthodox leg-breaks to jump and turn away so quickly that no batsman except (opener Jim) Burke was quick enough to get the bat to the ball.' Asked to follow-on, Australia lost the first wicket to Laker by stumps on third day. Only rain could save Australia and though Day 4 was washed out, the pitch only became more unplayable. Neil Harvey bagged a pair and the great all-rounder Keith Miller was out for zero and 6. Harvey recalled the sharp turner that bowled him in the first innings, 50 years later. 'Much has been said about the Warne-Gatting ball (at Old Trafford in 1992). That ball that Jimmy bowled to me at Old Trafford in 1956 was just as good as Shane Warne bowled to Mike Gatting.' The perfect 10 was sealed on July 31 when Laker trapped last man Len Maddock leg before. A simple handshake with Australia skipper Ian Johnson, the non-striker, and the umpire followed before Laker collected and threw on his flannel over the left shoulder and walked off, carrying a big chunk of cricket history as he led his team off the field. It would take another 33 years for Anil Kumble to emulate Laker with another 10-for (10/74), against Pakistan at Delhi in 1999, New Zealand left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel joining that elite two with his 10/119, versus India in Mumbai in 2021.
News18
3 hours ago
- News18
Prasidh Krishna On What Made Joe Root Angry: 'I Just Said, You Are Looking...'
Last Updated: Prasidh Krishna has revealed what he told Joe Root that led to their fiery on-field spat. Indian fast-bowler Prasidh Krishna has revealed he told England's Joe Root that he was 'looking in great shape' during the fifth Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, which led to 'a lot of abuse' and an ugly on-field spat between the two. Prasidh was slammed on social media for riling up someone with as clean an image as Root, but according to the Karnataka man, even he didn't expect 'such a big reaction'. The incident happened soon after Root came to the crease in the second innings of the Test. His face turned red after the conversation, and he hit a few boundaries against Prasidh, who responded with a couple of bouncers in anger. Umpire Kumar Dharmasena didn't take long to involve himself in it, following Prasidh like a hawk from thereon. He was heard having chats with KL Rahul and captain Shubman Gill, who didn't seem pleased with being asked to control the verbal attacks. 'I don't know why Rooty [reacted]," Prasidh told the BBC's Test Match Special. 'I just said, 'You're looking in great shape,' and then it turned into a lot of abuse and all of that. Later, at the press conference, Prasidh was asked if the plan was to distract the Englishman. 'That was the plan, but I didn't expect the couple of words I said to get such a big reaction from him," Prasidh said. Prasidh also conceded that Root was a legend of the game. 'That's just who I am when I'm bowling, when I'm enjoying. If it means that I have a bit of a chatter with the batter… and it does help me when I can get under the nerves of the batsman and get a reaction from them. But I love the guy that he is. He is a legend of the game and I think it is great when two people are out there wanting to do the best and be a winner at a given moment," he added. Eventually, Root got out LBW to Mohammed Siraj. England folded for 247, only 23 runs ahead of the visitors, and the third essay yielded 75/2 led by Yashasvi Jaiswal's fifty before Stumps. Get latest Cricket news, live score and match results on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Watch: Drama! England skipper Ollie Pope refuses umpire's spin option, forces early stumps on Day 2 of final Test
England stand-in skipper refused the umpires' offer to continue play with spin, resulting in stumps being called earlier than expected in a rare and intriguing moment late on Day 2 of the fifth Test at The Oval. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now As the light deteriorated, on-field umpire offered Pope the option to bowl spin to keep the game going, as is customary in fading conditions. But Pope's emphatic 'No!' brought the curtains down on a gripping day of Test . Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. Watch: With 15 wickets falling across three sessions, Friday's play was already one of the most action-packed days of the series. India had been bowled out for 224 in the morning, adding just 20 runs for their final four wickets. England then launched a Bazball blitz, as openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett smashed 92 runs in just 77 balls, making the pitch look docile until Akash Deep broke through minutes before lunch. After England were bowled out for 247, taking a slim 23-run lead, India responded with calculated aggression. Yashasvi Jaiswal led the fightback with an unbeaten 51, showing class and intent in tough conditions. But after India reached 75/2 in just 18 overs, bad light threatened to halt play. Poll Who do you think had the momentum going into Day 3? England India It's too close to call In that moment, Dharmasena asked Pope if he would bowl spin to continue the game. Pope's refusal, despite having options like Joe Root or Tom Hartley, surprised many, especially as England trailed slightly in momentum. His decision drew mixed reactions, with some calling it tactical, others questioning England's approach in the final overs. As the players walked off, nightwatchman Akash Deep stood unbeaten with Jaiswal, and India led by 52. With three days remaining and momentum swinging, Pope's call may yet become a turning point in this high-stakes series decider.
