Trisha Ghosal in Manchester
India’s batting effort veered off course in the second session at Old Trafford, squandering the early advantage built by their openers. What began as their most assured start of the tour quickly unravelled after KL Rahul’s dismissal, leaving England with the upper hand by tea on Day 1.
Resuming from a strong 78 without loss post-lunch, Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal briefly carried their opening stand to 92, the highest of India’s tour so far, before Rahul’s lapse in judgment changed the rhythm. Facing Chris Woakes, he threw his hands at a short-of-length delivery that nipped away just enough to find the outside edge. It was an unnecessary shot, far from the discipline he had shown all morning. Zak Crawley made no mistake at third slip. Rahul walked back for his second score in the 40s this series, a number that’s becoming a habit, but one that India will want him to push beyond.
Jaiswal, meanwhile, quietly raised his fifty, a gutsy innings after his struggles at Lord’s. While far from chanceless, with a few edges and plays-and-misses along the way, he showed resilience and fought through difficult passages. The milestone also marked a significant personal feat: he became the first Indian opener to score a fifty at Old Trafford since Sunil Gavaskar’s 58 in 1974. He also crossed 1000 Test runs against England, becoming the 20th Indian to do so and equalling Azharuddin as the joint-second-fastest Indian to that mark in 16 innings.
But just as the innings seemed to settle again, Liam Dawson, playing his first Test in eight years, produced a moment of subtle brilliance. He’d teased the edge in his earlier over, and this time he delivered: a ball that drifted in, straightened slightly, and defeated Jaiswal’s defence. The edge flew to Harry Brook, and Jaiswal’s knock ended on 58. His disappointment was evident as he gestured about the drift while walking back.
Sai Sudharsan, in only his second Test, had an early scare, nearly strangled down the leg side by Ben Stokes again, as he was at Headingley. Jamie Smith failed to hold on this time. But the biggest blow of the session came when Stokes trapped Shubman Gill in front with a classic piece of deception. Gill shouldered arms to a delivery that angled in and straightened , only to find out, via DRS, that it was crashing into off stump. A rare lapse in judgment for the Indian skipper, and Stokes let out a guttural roar as Old Trafford rose with him.
In contrast to earlier Tests, the Dukes ball this time held its shape deep into the innings, continuing to nip around even after 35 overs, something that clearly aided England’s bowlers. India, after a promising foundation, suddenly found themselves three down for 149, and momentum swinging back England’s way.
They’ll need to regroup quickly. In English conditions, tiny openings can spiral quickly as they found out this session.
Brief score: India 149-3 (Jaiswal 58, Rahul 46)
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