Sun Favors Batters at Old Trafford. Indian Bowlers Struggle for Wickets as England Consolidates
July25, 2025: Day 3 of the 4th Test between India and England at Old Trafford has begun with dazzling sunshine, making it hard for the Indian bowlers to get any breakthroughs. At the end of Day 2, England was at 225/2, with Joe Root (11) and Ollie Pope (20) at the crease. They were 133 runs behind India’s first-innings total of 358.
India, who was asked to bat first, made 358 runs before being out. It was hard for them to bat on Day 1 and early Day 2 because it was cloudy, but the sun has been out since England’s innings began, which hasn’t helped the pace bowlers much.
England’s openers Zak Crawley (84) and Ben Duckett (94) got things off to a great start on Day 2, putting together a 166-run partnership. Even though neither of them got to 100, their aggressive play placed India on the back foot. India finally got through when Ravindra Jadeja got rid of Crawley and debutant Anshul Kamboj got his first Test wicket by sending Duckett back to the pavilion.
Rishabh Pant’s brave innings became a big topic of conversation on Day 2. Even though he broke his toe on Day 1, Pant played through the pain and scored a brave 54 off 75 balls. This performance earned him acclaim from both cricket stars and fans. He is hurt badly, yet his determination helped India get a good score.
Ben Stokes, the captain of England, was the best bowler for his team. He took five wickets for 72 runs, his first five-wicket haul in eight years. His important spells on Day 1 and Day 2 were very important in keeping India’s innings short.
The sun is shining brightly, and the pitch looks like it will help batters. India’s bowlers will need to come up with a good plan to break up the current partnership and stop England from getting a big lead. England leads the series 2-1, thus this is a very important Test for India to win to keep their dreams alive.