Liam Dawson bagged a first Test wicket in nearly 3,000 days before England captain Ben Stokes dismissed India counterpart Shubman Gill at Emirates Old Trafford.
Handed a fourth Test cap eight years after his third because of an injury to fellow spinner Shoaib Bashir, slow left-armer Dawson drew the edge of Yashasvi Jaiswal on the opening day of the fourth Test.
India went to tea on 149 for three after Stokes got a leg-before verdict over Gill, whose arrival at the crease drew jeers from the crowd, seemingly becoming public enemy number one having accused England of acting against the “spirit” of the game last time out at Lord’s.
After the antagonism between the teams at the home of cricket, where England moved 2-1 ahead in the five-match Rothesay series, tensions were cooler on Wednesday, where Gill called incorrectly as India lost their 14th toss in a row – a statistical improbability rated at 16,384 to one.
India’s openers had better fortune when play got under way, with Jaiswal twice edging Chris Woakes’ first over but, to the bowler’s chagrin, both dropped short of the slip cordon.
Woakes in particular gave Jaiswal a thorough working-over and, while the young left-hander was judicious outside his off-stump, there were multiple occasions where the ball whistled past his outside edge.
Rahul was unruffled, moving past 400 runs in the series and 1,000 in England, while the only breakthrough the hosts managed in a wicketless first session was Woakes breaking Jaiswal’s bat handle.
Jaiswal showed largely excellent restraint but did flash at the wayward Brydon Carse, agonisingly wide of third slip, before later carving Stokes away for six in the penultimate over before lunch.
Woakes got some overdue reward 20 minutes after the resumption when Rahul fenced off the back foot but succeeded only in edging to Zak Crawley at third slip, leaving the opener to trudge off for 46.
Jaiswal did go to a battling fifty but, on 58, he pushed hard to Dawson’s seventh ball of his comeback, undone by a hint of drift and a lack of spin as an edge was gobbled up by lone slip Harry Brook.
Dawson dashed off in a frenzied celebration after claiming his first Test wicket since dismissing former South Africa batter Hashim Amla 2,929 days ago at Trent Bridge.
Gill’s arrival led to a smattering of boos but he blocked out the noise and showed more intent against Dawson, advancing and thumping him for four, albeit just over the head of a leaping Stokes at mid-on.
The recalled Sai Sudharsan, one of three changes to India’s line-up from Lord’s, was put down on 20 by Jamie Smith, who was hit on the chest after Stokes had got a leg-side strangle.
Stokes had more luck in his next over after brushing the front pad of Gill, who paid the price for shouldering arms to a trademark inswinger as he departed for 12 to give England a third wicket of the session.
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