Manchester, July 24 . India added 57 runs to their overnight score on a rain-hit second morning to reach 321 for 6 at lunch in the Old Trafford Test against England today with Rishabh Pant batting on 39 after returning to the crease post a brief injury scare.
Giviing Pant company in the middle is Washington Sundar on 20.
Starting the day at 264/4, India lost Ravindra Jadeja early when he edged Jofra Archer to Brook at second slip for 20.
Archer, bowling with discipline and venom despite a modest pace, continued troubling Indian batsmen with movement off the seam.
Shardul Thakur, resuming on 19, stood tall under pressure. He counter-punched the English attack with a gritty 41 off 88 balls, including five boundaries. A dramatic sequence unfolded in the 11th over of the day when England lost a review after believing Thakur gloved a rising delivery to the keeper, only for replays to show it clipped his shoulder. Unfazed, Thakur responded with a boundary the very next ball.
However, in the 102nd over, Thakur fell to Ben Stokes, edging an outswinger to Ben Duckett at gully, who took a superb low catch.
Thakur’s dismissal left India at 314/6, but the attention quickly turned to the return of Rishabh Pant, who had retired hurt yesterday after reaching 37. He walked back to the middle amidst applause, partnering Sundar through to lunch.
The Indian innings was briefly interrupted by rain just ahead of the lunch interval. Earlier in the session, England had taken the second new ball at the start of play (83.1 overs), but the bowlers failed to make full use of the fresh cherry as India crossed the 300-run mark.
With Pant batting and Sundar providing solid support, India will hope to stretch the total further into the second session. . . .
