Crawley, Duckett Shine as England Fight Back After Pant’s Heroics

News Desk

Manchester: A brilliant 166-run opening stand between Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett powered England’s recovery on day two of the fourth Test against India at Old Trafford. The hosts ended the day on 225-2, trailing India by 133 runs.

India posted a first-innings total of 358, thanks to a courageous half-century from an injured Rishabh Pant. The wicketkeeper-batter battled through pain to anchor the innings before England captain Ben Stokes dismantled the tail, claiming his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket since 2017.

In response, Crawley and Duckett gave England a strong start, scoring briskly before tea. However, both missed out on individual centuries, with Duckett falling for 84 and Crawley for 94 during the evening session.

Joe Root and Ollie Pope then guided England safely to stumps, despite some nervy moments, keeping their side in a strong position to push for victory and potentially seal the five-match series with one Test remaining.