India suffered a potentially major setback when Rishabh Pant retired hurt on the first day of the fourth test against England at Old Trafford on Wednesday before they reached stumps on 264-4.
Left-arm spinner Liam Dawson had earlier marked his first test in eight years with the key wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal after England captain Ben Stokes went against history by opting to bowl first.
No team winning the toss and bowling first has ever won a test at Old Trafford.
But lively paceman Stokes led from the front with 2-47 in 14 overs as he again proved the pick of England's attack this series.
India, 2-1 down after three tests, must win in Manchester if they are to keep alive their hopes of winning the five-match campaign.
The tourists, however, will have to make history of their own as they have never managed to win in nine previous tests at Old Trafford.
The fourth Test rests in the balance at Stumps on Day One ⚖️
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) July 23, 2025
Coverage resumes at 11:15 (CAT) on #SSCricket on Thursday 🏴🆚🇮🇳#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/T1aZtoTw7a
India, got through the first session without losing a wicket only for three batsmen, including skipper Shubman Gill, to be dismissed before tea.
The recalled Sai Sudharsan, dropped on 20, twice hooked fast bowler Jofra Archer for four before Pant launched Brydon Carse for a superb straight six.
But the aggressive Pant was hurt when attempting an audacious reverse sweep off a yorker-length delivery from paceman Chris Woakes.
England appealed for lbw but a review revealed wicketkeeper Pant had got an inside edge before the ball deflected onto his right foot.
Pant, who had made 37 off 48 balls, took his boot off and, following on-field treatment, eventually limped into a buggy before being driven off the field, with India then 212-3.
FEEL FOR RISHABH PANT, Comeback Stronger. pic.twitter.com/dQ7YXfWg7f
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 23, 2025
An India statement issued after Wednesday's close said Pant had been taken from the ground for scans, with the squad's medical team "monitoring his progress".
Soon afterwards Sudharsan fell for a well-made 61 when a top-edged swivel pull off a shirt ball from lively paceman Stokes that cramped him for room flew straight to Carse at long leg.
BREAKTHROUGH! 🤩
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 23, 2025
Sai Sudharsan attempts to pull Ben Stokes but is cramped for room and top-edges to Brydon Carse at long leg.
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Bad light ended play for the day, even though the floodlights were on and England were bowling spin at both ends.
Jaiswal and fellow opener KL Rahul had previously defied difficult conditions and testing bowling from Woakes and Archer to take India to 78-0 at lunch.
But Rahul had added just six more runs to his interval score of 40 when, trying to force Woakes off the back foot, he edged to Zak Crawley at third slip, leaving India 94-1.
Jaiswal late-cut Carse for four to go to 49 before completing a 96-ball fifty.
DAWSON GLAD TO 'DO A JOB'
Dawson, recalled after 21-year-old off-spinner Shoaib Bashir suffered a series-ending finger injury during England's thrilling 22-run win in the third test at Lord's, did not bowl before lunch.
But the 35-year-old, playing his first test since 2017, needed just seven balls to strike on Wednesday when Jaiswal pushed forward defensively to a good-length delivery and edged to Harry Brook at first slip.
"What you say today was what you get, not amazing but I do a job for the team," the modest Dawson told Sky Sports after ending the day with 1-45 in 15 overs.
He added: "I'm not getting any younger, so just try and enjoy it and take each day as it comes."
New batsman and India captain Shubman Gill, who had accused England of contravening "the spirit of cricket" with their time-wasting tactics during an ill-tempered match at Lord's, was greeted with a chorus of boos from spectators as he walked out to the middle.
But none of the ill-feeling between the teams in London was evident in Manchester on Wednesday.
Gill's brief stay ended when he was lbw for 12 playing no shot to opposing captain Stokes following a vociferous appeal from the all-rounder.
He reviewed, but to no avail, with India now 140-3.
Captain 🆚 captain
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 23, 2025
And Ben Stokes comes out on top! 🔥
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His early exit means Gill has scored just 34 runs in his past three innings after scoring three hundreds in the first two tests.
India selected paceman Jasprit Bumrah again after previously announcing he would only play three tests in the series.
The policy was aimed at protecting the world's top-ranked bowler following a back injury.
Bumrah missed the second test in Birmingham, which India won, but returned for the dramatic match at Lord's.
The fifth and final test takes place at the Oval, starting on 31 July.
ENGLAND: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith (wkt), Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer
INDIA: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (capt), Rishabh Pant (wkt), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj