England Leads India by 311 Runs After Woakes Double Strike at Old Trafford

On day four of the fourth Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test at Old Trafford, England captain Ben Stokes scored a commanding 141, his first Test century since the 2023 Ashes, leading England to a total of 669 and a first innings lead of 311 runs over India. Stokes became only the fourth England player to score a century and take five wickets in the same Test match, joining an elite group of allrounders with over 7,000 Test runs and 200 wickets. In response, India began their second innings disastrously as England seamer Chris Woakes took two wickets in two balls, dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal and B Sai Sudharsan for ducks and leaving India reeling at 1/2. Woakes’s early breakthroughs pushed India onto the back foot, marking their first 0-2 start in a Test innings since 1983 and putting England firmly in control with a 310-run lead. Despite some resistance from Indian batsmen KL Rahul and Shubman Gill, the deteriorating pitch and effective English bowling, including Woakes’s disciplined spells, have made India's task to save the match extremely challenging. England now look to wrap up the match in two sessions, which would secure an unassailable 3-1 series lead.