India 264-4 After Pant Injury on Day One at Old Trafford

In the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Old Trafford, India faced significant challenges in their effort to level the series against England, trailing 1-2. England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and surprisingly chose to bowl first, a decision defying historical trends at Old Trafford, where no team bowling first has won. India’s openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal started solidly, putting on a 78-run partnership before Rahul was dismissed, followed by wickets of Shubman Gill and Jaiswal. Recalled batsman Sai Sudharsan played a steady innings, scoring a well-made 61 before falling to Stokes. A major setback for India came when star wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant was forced to retire hurt after being struck on the foot attempting a reverse sweep, with India at 212-3; Pant had just reached 1,000 Test runs in England, a milestone for Indian players. England’s Liam Dawson made a notable comeback after eight years by taking Jaiswal’s wicket, and despite India’s struggles, the match continued with Ravindra Jadeja replacing Pant, as India aimed to keep their hopes alive in the series despite never having won at Old Trafford.