In the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 at Old Trafford, England asserted control with a commanding opening stand, thanks to the fluent efforts of Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett. After India posted a respectable total of 358 in their first innings, England’s openers responded with an aggressive 166-run partnership that left the visitors visibly frustrated.
Zak Crawley, in particular, looked in sublime touch, punishing anything loose and racing towards what seemed to be an inevitable century. However, his promising innings was cut short at 84 off 113 balls, courtesy of a clever piece of bowling by Ravindra Jadeja and an excellent low catch in the slips by KL Rahul.
WATCH – KL Rahul’s Costly Fielding Blunder Gifts England Runs In Fourth Test
Interestingly, the dismissal came under dramatic circumstances. Jadeja, who had just conceded a boundary on the sixth delivery of his over, appeared ready to remove his cap when the umpire signalled a no-ball. Annoyed, the spinner returned to his mark to bowl the extra delivery—and it turned out to be golden.
B R E A K T H R O U G H! 💪
A long partnership comes to a halt courtesy @imjadeja & a clean collect by @klrahul in the slips!#ENGvIND 👉 4th TEST, DAY 2 | LIVE NOW on JioHotstar 👉 https://t.co/Y3btplYguV pic.twitter.com/hiN97g6HLO
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 24, 2025
The final ball of the over induced a thick outside edge from Zak Crawley, and KL Rahul made no mistake at slip, taking a sharp catch to provide India their first breakthrough. Zak Crawley was visibly dejected, standing in disbelief for a few moments before walking off. The breakthrough offered a flicker of hope for India, but by then, England had already gained significant momentum.
WATCH – Jofra Archer Castles Rishabh Pant With Stunning Delivery At Old Trafford
At the time of writing, England are 182 for 1 in 34.2 overs, trailing by just 176 runs. While Crawley missed out on a deserved century, Ben Duckett remains unbeaten on 89 off 94 balls, eyeing a well-earned hundred and continuing to keep England in a strong position.
