How did Woakes' double-strike put India in jeopardy after Stokes’ 141 led England to 669?

Manchester, July 26 (NationPress) A remarkable double-strike from Chris Woakes, following an impressive innings from England captain Ben Stokes who scored his 14th Test century, has placed India in significant distress at lunch on the fourth day of the fourth Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Stokes achieved a commanding 141 runs off 198 balls, marking his first Test century since the 2023 Ashes, which propelled England to a total of 669 in 157.1 overs, granting them a substantial first-innings lead of 311 runs. For India, Ravindra Jadeja captured four wickets while Washington Sundar added two, but the bowling effort was largely lackluster.

Jasprit Bumrah faced a challenging outing, conceding over 100 runs for the first time in his Test career, while Mohammed Siraj, debutant Anshul Kamboj, and Shardul Thakur struggled to impact the game. Woakes then swiftly dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal and B Sai Sudharsan for ducks within just 15 minutes before the lunch interval, leaving India at 1/2 in three overs.

As KL Rahul (one not out) and captain Shubman Gill continued at the crease, India finds itself trailing by 310 runs, with only seven wickets remaining, plus Rishabh Pant, who is sidelined with a broken right foot, meaning they will need to dig deep to survive into day five. Meanwhile, England is eager to conclude the match swiftly and secure an unassailable series lead.

Woakes, coming from around the wicket, struck in the first over, getting the ball to drift away enough to induce a leading edge from Yashasvi Jaiswal, which was expertly caught by Joe Root with one hand, reaching low to his right at slip.

The second wicket came quickly for Woakes, as B Sai Sudharsan attempted to leave the ball but instead edged it, resulting in a catch by Harry Brook at second slip. Rahul and Gill managed to see off the remaining deliveries until the session concluded, firmly favoring England.

The session commenced with Stokes executing perfect cover drives off Mohammed Siraj for two boundaries, before Liam Dawson added another four runs. Meanwhile, Bumrah managed to disrupt Dawson's innings by sending the ball crashing into the top of off-stump, dismissing him for 26.

With Brydon Carse hitting Bumrah for two boundaries, Stokes reached the century milestone by flicking Siraj for four, celebrating with a fist bump and a tribute to his father, Ged, by looking up to the sky with a raised finger.

As India spread the field, Carse contributed with singles and occasional boundaries, while Stokes showcased his flair by dancing down the pitch to hit Washington Sundar for six and reverse sweeping him for another four. He also executed a well-timed backfoot drive off Ravindra Jadeja for four before sending him over long-off for another six.

Carse joined in the fun with a four and a six off Sundar, but in an attempt to repeat the feat against Jadeja, Stokes miscalculated and was caught at long-on. England’s innings concluded when Carse, aiming for a slog-sweep off Jadeja, found himself caught in the deep.

Brief Scores: India 358 & 1/2 in three overs (KL Rahul one not out; Chris Woakes 2-0) trail England 669 in 157.1 overs (Joe Root 150, Ben Stokes 141; Ravindra Jadeja 4-143, Washington Sundar 2-107) by 310 runs.