Crawley and Duckett run riot before India hit back in fourth Test

Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett gave England a blistering start in their first innings of the fourth Test, only for India to ensure both openers fell heartbreakingly short of centuries.

England ended day two at Old Trafford on 225 for 2, trailing by 133 runs, after bowling India out for 358 earlier in the day. Captain Ben Stokes starred with the ball, claiming five wickets, while a determined half-century from the injured Rishabh Pant added grit to the visitors' innings.

Leading the five-match series 2–1, England can secure overall victory with a win in Manchester ahead of the final Test at The Oval in London next week.

Crawley (84) and Duckett (94) put on a superb opening partnership of 166 runs — only their fifth century stand in 53 Test innings together.

The mercurial Crawley, often criticised for inconsistency and even dubbed "the luckiest player to have earned so many England caps" by former Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan, unfurled several trademark elegant drives. He had a stroke of fortune on 26 when he survived a confident lbw appeal from Mohammed Siraj, having shouldered arms to a delivery that nipped back in.

However, Crawley's hopes of notching only his sixth Test century in 58 matches were dashed when he edged Ravindra Jadeja to slip, where KL Rahul took an excellent low catch. His fluent 113-ball knock included 13 fours and a six.

Duckett was just as assertive, crashing three boundaries off debutant Anshul Kamboj's very first over in Test cricket.

Kamboj was drafted into the Indian side after fellow pacer Nitish Kumar Reddy was ruled out with a knee injury sustained during England's thrilling 22-run win at Lord's last week.

Duckett, who struck a sublime 149 in the first Test at Headingley, appeared set for another century when he confidently clipped Jasprit Bumrah — the world's top-ranked Test bowler — for two boundaries in the space of three deliveries.

But just six runs shy of three figures, Duckett attempted a cut shot off Kamboj and feathered an edge through to reserve wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, standing in for the injured Pant. As Kamboj celebrated his first Test wicket, Duckett departed visibly disappointed, leaving England on 197 for 2.