The fourth day of the fourth Test match between India and England has concluded. At stumps on Sunday, India had scored 58 runs for the loss of four wickets, requiring a further 135 runs to win.
Sports News: The fourth day's play of the fourth Test match of the ongoing five-match series between India and England has ended. The match has now reached an exciting stage, where India still needs 135 runs to win. India has scored 58 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in their second innings at stumps.
Currently, experienced batsman KL Rahul is at the crease, scoring 33 runs. The responsibility for winning now rests on the remaining batsmen, as England's bowlers appear fully prepared to challenge India on the final day.
England Sets a Target of 193 Runs for India
In this match, both teams performed equally in the first innings. Both India and England were all out for 387 runs in their respective first innings. Following this, the Indian bowlers put up a brilliant performance in England's second innings and dismissed the host team for 192 runs. Thus, a target of 193 runs was set for India to win.
England started their second innings on the fourth day at 2 runs without any loss. In the initial session, India's fast bowler Mohammed Siraj bowled brilliantly and sent Ben Duckett (12) and Ollie Pope (4) back to the pavilion. After this, Nitish Reddy caught England opener Zak Crawley (22) off the bowling of Yashasvi Jaiswal. As the fourth wicket, Akash Deep bowled out Harry Brook (23), giving India a major breakthrough.
Washington Sundar's Spell, England's Collapse
In the second session, England's batsmen could not withstand the Indian bowlers. Washington Sundar bowled brilliantly, first bowling out England's experienced batsman Joe Root (40). After that, Jamie Smith (8) was also clean bowled by Sundar. Washington Sundar's dominance continued in the third session as well, and he bowled out captain Ben Stokes (33) and Shoaib Bashir (2), weakening England's innings.
Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Chris Woakes (10) and Brydon Carse (1) at the end, wrapping up England's innings. Jofra Archer remained not out, scoring 5 runs. The entire England team was out for 192 runs. For India, Washington Sundar took 4 wickets in the second innings, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj took 2 wickets each, while Nitish Reddy and Akash Deep took 1 wicket each.
India's Second Innings: Early Setbacks
The Indian team's start to the chase was very poor. Opening batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal was caught behind off the bowling of Jofra Archer without scoring any runs. After that, KL Rahul and Karun Nair tried to steady the innings. Both played some good shots and formed a partnership of 36 runs in 66 balls for the second wicket.
Karun Nair (14 runs) was out LBW by Brydon Carse, giving India their second setback. After that, captain Shubman Gill also could not do much and was out LBW off the bowling of Carse. Gill had failed in the first innings as well and was unsuccessful in playing a big innings in the second innings too. Akash Deep, who was sent as a night watchman, also could not do much and was bowled by Ben Stokes. He only added 1 run in 11 balls.
India's Challenge: 135 Runs and Overcoming England's Bowlers
Now India will face a major challenge on the fifth day. India needs to score 135 more runs to win on the final day, while they have lost four wickets. KL Rahul is holding the crease, scoring 33 runs. The lower-order batsmen will also have to contribute now. England's fast bowlers Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, and Ben Stokes could prove to be a threat to India.
In the second innings, Brydon Carse bowled brilliantly for England, taking 2 wickets. Meanwhile, Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes got 1-1 success. The English bowlers made excellent use of swing and seam movement and did not give the Indian batsmen the opportunity to play freely.
