England battle to keep India batsmen in check

ENGLAND fought hard to keep India in check on an attritional opening day of the fourth Test at a gloomy Emirates Old Trafford, with the tourists sweating over a foot injury to Rishabh Pant.

- DAVID CHARLESWORTH Cricket correspondent

Ben Stokes claimed two for 47 after being seduced into bowling first by the overheads and Liam Dawson marked his first Test appearance since July 2017 with the prize wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal for 58.

Sai Sudharsan top-scored with 61 as India went to stumps on 264 for four although Pant retired hurt after a typically helter-skelter 37 when he was struck on the right foot by Chris Woakes.

Pant was in immediate pain and took off his boot to be treated but when it was apparent he could neither continue nor hobble off the field, he was taken away in a golf buggy for further assessment.

Pant suffered a finger injury last week at Lord's and could not keep wicket but this seems altogether more serious for India's second leading run-scorer of this Rothesay series, just behind Shubman Gill.

India's captain received jeers when he came out to bat and is perhaps now public enemy number one after accusing England of contravening 'the spirit of the game' following a bad-tempered third Test.