India lose two quick wickets after Stokes' ton gives England massive 311-run lead

Manchester, Jul 26 (PTI) India made a disastrous start to their second innings after Ben Stokes' stroke-filled hundred following his five-wicket haul to help England take a massive 311-run lead in the fourth Test here on Saturday.

With England posting a mammoth 669 in the morning session, India had to bat for an awkward 20-minute period before lunch.

It was hara-kiri in the middle as Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan departed in successive balls in the first over of India’s innings.

Jaiswal was squared up by a Chris Woakes delivery which deviated away with Joe Root snapping it at first slip after a brief fumble. The very next ball Sudharsan was late in leaving the ball and ended up giving catching practice to Harry Brook at second slip.

Like it was the case in the second innings, England fast bowlers seem to get a lot more out of the pitch than the Indians in this brief passage of play.

Resuming the day at 544 for seven, England effectively batted India out of the game. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj looked in good rhythm and bowled with a lot more intensity than shown on Friday but it was not enough to stop England from amassing the highest total at Old Trafford.

Bumrah ended with figures of 33-5-112-2, the first time he conceded 100 runs or more in what has been phenomenal Test career.

Stokes (141 off 198) began the day by stepping out to Siraj and dispatching him through the cover region before playing an expansive drive off the Indian workhorse.

He completed a rare double of a century and a five-wicket haul in the same game with a tickle down the leg side off Siraj that went for four. The hundred, coming after two years, meant a lot to him.

When Stokes made room to whack Washington Sundar down the ground for six, he became only the third cricketer to complete 7000 runs and 200 wickets after Jacques Kallis and Sir Gary Sobers.

With England collecting boundaries for fun, it also marked the first time since 2014 that India conceded 600 runs in an innings. PTI KHS