KL Rahul, known for his usually safe pair of hands and athleticism, had an uncharacteristically off moment on Day 2 of the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford. Just after the tea break, Rahul’s misfield gifted England four easy runs in a session where India desperately needed to tighten the screws.
Earlier, India had managed to post a respectable 358 in their first innings, batting for nearly 1.5 days. The scorecard saw valuable contributions from young guns Sai Sudharsan (61) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (58), alongside a gritty half-century from Rishabh Pant (54) and a composed 46 from Rahul himself. Ben Stokes, England’s talismanic all-rounder, stood out with a five-wicket haul, wrapping up the Indian innings efficiently.
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England’s reply, however, began on a solid note. Despite the pitch offering movement and some uneven bounce, the Indian bowlers failed to capitalise on it. Their lines were erratic, allowing English openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett to settle in quickly. The pair batted fluently, taking England to 77/0 by tea, with Duckett on 43 and Crawley on 33.
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After the interval, India looked to regroup. Shardul Thakur was handed the ball, but on just the second delivery of his spell, a costly error occurred. Crawley edged a short-of-length delivery outside off past the gully region. Rahul, stationed in the slip cordon, gave chase and looked poised to save the boundary.
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However, his dive was mistimed, and with his knee sticking in the turf, the ball trickled past him and crossed the ropes. It wasn’t just a four—it was a momentum-shifter, symbolic of India’s lack of precision in the field at a critical juncture. For someone of Rahul’s caliber, it was a moment he’d surely want to forget.
