England responded confidently to India’s first innings total of 358, ending Day 2 at 225/2 at Old Trafford in the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The home side’s top order showed remarkable resilience, led by openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, who stitched together a commanding partnership to keep India’s bowlers at bay.

Captain Ben Stokes produced his first five-wicket haul in eight years, and a blazing 166-run opening partnership between Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley put England firmly in control on Day 2 in Manchester.

India out for 358 in 1st innings

On a cloudy morning, England’s fast bowlers hit better lines and lengths than they had on Day 1, utilizing the second new ball expertly to dismiss India for 358.

Rishabh Pant, battling a broken foot, bravely returned to bat, but India’s innings ended soon after. What looked like a competitive total quickly lost its sheen as India's bowlers struggled for movement and discipline with the new ball, failing to capitalize on the conditions.

India’s seamers found little support from the surface and lacked discipline with the new ball, often missing their lines and offering easy runs. Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley took full advantage, capitalizing on the pace and bounce at Manchester—an ideal contrast to the slower conditions at Lord’s.

The duo batted with freedom, scoring briskly at over five runs an over, and put India firmly on the back foot. Their aggressive approach left stand-in skipper Shubman Gill facing mounting pressure as the bowlers struggled to contain the flow of runs.

India playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

England playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.