Day 2 of the fourth Test between India and England at Old Trafford belonged to England, who closed play at 225 for 2, trailing India by 133 runs. England's dominant performance was built upon a powerful opening partnership between Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, who capitalized on good batting conditions.
India had started the day with Rishabh Pant battling through pain to score a brave fifty after returning to the crease with a fractured toe. His 54 runs helped India to a total of 358 before England eventually bowled them out shortly after lunch. Ben Stokes took 5 wickets for 72 runs.
England's response was assertive. Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley put together a 166-run partnership, scoring at a rapid pace of 4.89 runs per over. Duckett scored 94 off 100 balls before being dismissed, while Crawley made 84 off 113 deliveries. Anshul Kamboj, in his debut Test, picked up his first wicket by dismissing Duckett. At the end of the day, Ollie Pope (20) and Joe Root (11) were at the crease.
India's bowlers struggled to maintain accuracy, which allowed the English openers to score freely. According to BBC Weather, the weather forecast for Day 3 is clear with no rain expected. Temperatures are expected to stay below 20°C.
Looking ahead to Day 3, the partnership between Ollie Pope and Joe Root will be key for England as they seek to build on the platform laid by the openers. For India, Jasprit Bumrah's brilliance with the ball will be crucial if they are to fight back. Shardul Thakur said that the team could have bowled better with the new ball and need to be more patient.
