India vs England Clash Today: Live Score, Playing XI, Match Time & Free Streaming Details

A defiant fourth-day fightback has kept India alive in the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford and set up a blockbuster finale today. After conceding a record-breaking 669 in the face of Joe Root’s majestic 150 and Ben Stokes’ bruising 141, Shubman Gill’s men were staring at a 311-run deficit and the prospect of surrendering the Pataudi Trophy. Chris Woakes then crashed through Yashasvi Jaiswal and debutant B Sai Sudharsan to leave the visitors 0-for-2, but an unbroken 174-run stand between Gill and KL Rahul has dragged the contest back to parity and left Old Trafford buzzing. Gill reaches stumps on 82* from 177 balls, rewriting record books en-route. His single off Liam Dawson late in the evening carried him to 694 runs this campaign, surpassing Virat Kohli’s previous Indian-captain benchmark of 692 and making him the first Asian to score 650 in a Test series on English soil. Rahul’s gritty 87* (221 balls) may prove just as critical; the pair have already posted the highest partnership ever after a side slipped to 0-for-2 in Test history, eclipsing Mohinder Amarnath and Gundappa Vishwanath’s 105 at Melbourne in 1977-78. With India 227/2 and trailing by 137, today’s first hour looms decisive. The new ball is only nine overs old and Woakes—already on a hat-trick in the first over—will be backed by Jofra Archer’s reverse swing. England’s X-factor remains Stokes, but the captain nursed a hamstring strain throughout day four and did not bowl; whether he can unleash his cutters could define the match and the series. India’s blueprint is simple: bat at least two sessions, erase the arrears and make England chase on a wearing surface that is offering slow turn for Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. Rishabh Pant’s fitness is still uncertain after a jarred knee, so the middle order responsibility may fall on Jadeja, Sundar and Shardul Thakur. If they can shepherd Gill toward a match-saving hundred—perhaps even challenge Sunil Gavaskar’s Indian record of 774 runs in a single series—the visitors can keep the World Test Championship cycle on level terms. For England, every scenario leads through quick wickets. Stokes has already become the first England skipper to score a century and take a five-for in the same Test, while also joining Jacques Kallis and Garry Sobers in the elite 7,000-run/200-wicket club. One more burst with the ball could seal both the match and the series 3-1, delivering a perfect launch to England’s new World Test Championship cycle. Weather may intervene: forecasts suggest early Manchester cloud but only a slim chance of prolonged rain. Overcast skies could invigorate the Dukes ball, yet they will also aid India’s seamers should the tourists set England a fourth-innings target. Key talking points for Day 5 • Gill vs the milestones: needs 106 more to pass Gavaskar’s 1971 record for most runs by an Indian in any series. • Rahul’s redemption: a century here would be his first overseas since Lord’s 2021 and silence doubts over his Test future. • Stokes’ fitness gamble: can the all-rounder bowl despite a tight hamstring? His first-innings 5-100 underlined how integral he is to England’s attack. • Bumrah’s burden: the spearhead is one shy of his first ever 100-run Test innings; he must strike early to keep India’s escape route open. SEO snippets to watch: “India vs England live score”, “4th Test Day 5 updates”, “Shubman Gill record”, “KL Rahul century watch”, “Ben Stokes injury bowling”, “Old Trafford Test match today”. If Gill and Rahul extend their epic resistance, Old Trafford could witness one of India’s great rearguards. If Woakes and Archer prise them out early, England will romp to their first home series win over India in more than a decade. Either way, the final day promises high drama, higher stakes and headline-grabbing numbers for fans and search engines alike.