IND vs ENG Live Score, 4th Test Match Day 4: Rain likely to disrupt play as India desperately eye breakthroughs

Former England batter Jonathan Trott believes Jasprit Bumrah has been “unlucky” against England in the fourth Test at Manchester, and that a lack of support from the other end has only added to the Indian pacer’s struggle.Despite bowling with his trademark intensity and looking threatening with the Dukes ball, Bumrah couldn’t dislodge any of England’s top five batters early on. He had to work hard for his first wicket, eventually dismissing debutant Jamie Smith after 28 overs of toil.The absence of pressure from the other end made Bumrah’s task even more challenging. During the early part of England’s innings, he managed to keep Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett in check, but debutant Anshul Kamboj conceded several boundaries down the leg side, releasing the pressure.“Bumrah’s areas were pretty good, and his economy reflects that; he was just a bit unlucky. But the bigger issue is pressure from both ends. Bumrah benefits massively when there’s support at the other end, and that wasn’t the case today. When you’re slightly under par as a bowling unit, like India were, control from both ends becomes crucial,” Trott said while speaking to JioHotstar.Trott also suggested a tactical shift that could help Bumrah thrive — pairing him with spin from the opposite end.“I’d have liked to see Bumrah bowl in tandem with spin from the other end, either Washington or Kuldeep, to build pressure. But with runs constantly leaking from the opposite side, England’s batters didn’t feel the kind of pressure we’ve seen Bumrah create in the past,” he added.By the end of Day 3, England were in a commanding position at 544/7, holding a lead of 186 runs. With two days of play remaining, the match seemed to be slipping away from India, with a draw or loss appearing the likeliest result.Despite the tough situation, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes India will still look to push for a win.“India won’t be thinking of a draw, they’ll be hoping for the sun to be out so they can pile on runs and put pressure back on England. The surface is showing signs of uneven bounce, so it could get tricky for some bowlers. Chris Woakes may not be as effective, but Ben Stokes will still need to bowl a lot of overs,” he said.“Jofra Archer’s tall action and ability to target the stumps could prove dangerous, especially if the ball stays low. And watch out for Liam Dawson, not necessarily for unplayable deliveries, but he’ll play a crucial role in England’s bowling strategy,” he added.

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