Woakes could taste hat-trick .. but Gill defies

WHEN Chris Woakes found himself on a hat-trick after bowling the first two deliveries of India’s second innings, there might have been a temptation to cancel the final-day catering.

- SIMON MULLOCK Verdict from Old Trafford

The tourists had even left Rishabh Pant back at the team hotel after deciding it was probably wise for him to stay off the foot he broke on Wednesday afternoon, rather than asking him to go through the pain barrier again.

But any thoughts that Shubman Gill was about to wave the white flag were dispelled in the next 62 overs and four balls as the Indian skipper combined with obdurate opener KL Rahul to make sure that there's still jeopardy going into the final day of the fourth Test at Old Trafford.

The pair guided India to within 137 runs of forcing England to bat again.

Whether Pant will still be watching on TV and helping himself to a bit of Sunday morning Radisson room service is another matter.

If his country needs him to hobble back to the middle to frustrate England further, there's no doubt that he'll be more than willing.

Gill led brilliantly from the front once more to give his team a fighting chance of avoiding defeat and going to The Oval next week with hope of saving the series.