New Delhi: India find themselves in deep trouble heading into the final day of the 4th Test in Manchester as they are trailing by 137 runs with just eight wickets in hand and need to produce something extraordinary to avoid defeat. With the series on the line, fans back home are now pinning their hopes on the weather for a late twist in the tale.
The situation turned dire after India lost both Yashasvi Jaiswal and debutant Sai Sudharsan for ducks in the very first over of the second innings. But captain Shubman Gill (78) and KL Rahul (87) staged a commendable fightback as they stitched together a crucial 174-run stand to give India a glimmer of hope heading into Day 5. Gill is playing on 78* while KL Rahil is on 87* and they will need to be on the crease if need aim to win the match.
Many Indian fans had hoped that rain might come to their rescue in Manchester but the latest forecasts suggest otherwise. According to Accuweather, the chances of rainfall on Sunday are only around 25%. Even the hourly prediction looks clear with just a 7% chance of precipitation at the scheduled time. Overcast conditions may prevail but rain delays appear unlikely.
That means India will have to rely on their batting rather than the skies to stay alive in this match and series. With just two days of rest before the final Test, a full fifth day of play could significantly test the Indian batting depth.
Earlier, England posted a mammoth 669 in their first innings, thanks to an outstanding 141 from Ben Stokes and big contributions from Joe Root (150), Ben Duckett (94), Zak Crawley (84) and Ollie Pope (71). The hosts completely dominated the first half of the match, leaving India with a massive 311-run deficit.
Despite the second-innings recovery, India still face an uphill battle if they want to equal the series. They must bat through the final day, avoiding further collapse while the Lions on the other end will look to capitalize on the overcast conditions and break through early to secure the win.
