ENG vs IND 2025, 4th Test Day 3 Highlights: Joe Root breaks records, England tighten grip on Test. England at 544-7 at the stumps.
Brief Scores: England 544/7 (Joe Root 150, Ben Duckett 94, Washington Sundar 2/57) lead India 358 (Sai Sudharsan 61, Yashasvi Jaiswal 58, Ben Stokes 5/72) by 186 runs
India put a dominating first-inning score during the fourth Test of the five-match series against England at Old Trafford in Manchester. But their wayward bowling with the new ball snatched away the advantage. England went off to a flying start, thanks to both openers’ firing knocks in the 166-run opening partnership. The third day could decide if there would be any meaning to the series result in the fifth Oval Test.
Under bright sunshine, the pitch looked the best to bat on. The softball was not expected to help the bowlers much. But there were a few patches on the 22-yards which could provide uneven bounce or spin to the batters.
India’s captain, Shubman Gill, couldn’t display good leadership skills. He brought Washington Sundar after the 60th over in the innings. The field placement was not attacking either. For the new batters, they kept the mid-on and mid-off back to help the batters milk the easy singles. It was an entirely baffling display of captaincy.
Read More: ENG vs IND 2025, 4th Test, Day 2: Crawley, Duckett Lead England’s 166-Run Opening Stand to Nullify India’s 358
Let’s take a look at how the three sessions panned out on Day 3 of the fourth Test of Eng vs Ind 2025 series at Old Trafford:
England punish India’s planless bowling to reach 332/2; trail by 26 runs
Jasprit Bumrah drew a few false shots in his opening spell. That was the only joy for the visitors in their worst session of the trip. They started with lots of excitement, but as the runs started to come, they looked tired in the field. There was a lack of a plan from India, who couldn’t break the unbeaten stand of Joe Root and Ollie Pope.
Both batters celebrated their respective half-centuries. Jadeja’s ball raised a few questions. However, none of those were enough to bring a smile to their faces. England raced to 332/2 by the end of the session and had a deficit of 26 runs. The last chance for the Shubman Gill-led side was the second new ball, which was due after six overs.
Joe Root’s century gives England a lead of 75 runs at tea
Sundar finally arrived with the ball straight after the break. He broke the stand with the wicket of Pope. The right-handed batter got an outside edge to the ball, which drifted away from him. A few overs later, Harry Brook was beaten on the outside edge as the wicket-keeper, Dhruv Jurel, stumped him out. For a moment, it felt like the Blue Brigade had made a cracking comeback in the contest.
But Ben Stokes and Root denied them the advantage. They put up an 84-run unbeaten stand for the fifth wicket as the Yorkshire batter Joe Root celebrated his 38th Test century. Bumrah twisted his ankle while coming down the stairs. And that was the last thing India wanted as England stretched their lead to 75 runs, going into the break.
With many stalwarts now behind him, only Sachin Tendulkar remains in Joe Root’s path 👏
— ICC (@ICC) July 25, 2025
#WTC27 | #ENGvIND | ➡️ https://t.co/ZxLl2veHTh pic.twitter.com/FndKFXXdEv
Read More: How do Joe Root’s Test numbers compare with Steven Smith
Joe Root’s 150 stretches England’s lead to 186 runs
Root and Stokes continued the partnership till the latter retired hurt with cramps. That was the only way left to break the pair. Jadeja’s beautiful delivery stumped the former England captain out for 150 runs. Bumrah, after a tough day, found Jamie Smith’s outside edge.
Despite all of these, India’s actions and body language painted the story of where they stood in the game. Stokes returned to the crease after Mohammed Siraj went through Chris Woakes’ defense. The home side finished with 544/7 to increase their lead to 186 runs.
What to expect on Day 4
England has already taken of nearly 200 runs. They will perhaps come and enjoy the first session to put the visitors totally out of the game. For Inda, there is not much to say. They may hope for a good batting day and take things from there on. But that will also be an acid test after all.
Read More: Does Sai Sudharsan deserve a long run at no. 3 for India in Tests?
Statistical Highlights from Old Trafford ENG vs IND 2025 Test, Day 3:
- Joe Root completes 1000 Test runs at Old Trafford in Manchester. He has scored 1128 runs in 20 innings at an average of 70.50 with seven fifties and three centuries.
- Root becomes the third leading run-getter of Test history with n. He surpasses Rahul Dravid (13288) and Jacques Kallis (13289) in the list.
- Root and Pope record England’s highest third-wicket partnership (144) in Tests against India at Old Trafford. They overtake Michael Atherton and Allan Lamb’s 134 runs in 1990.
- Root overtakes Ricky Ponting and Kallis with the most fifty-plus scores (104) in Tests. Sachin Tendulkar tops the list with 119 fifty-plus Test scores.
- Root now has 12 hundreds against India in Tests. That’s the most Test centuries by any batter against India.
- Root equals Kumar Sangakkara with the fourth-most Test centuries (38)
- Root equals Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene, Australia’s Ricky Ponting, and South Africa’s Jacques Kallis to register the most Test centuries (23) at home.
- Root and Stokes record England’s highest fifth-wicket stand (142*) in Tests against India at Old Trafford.
Top Twitter/X Reactions from ENG vs IND 2025, Old Trafford Test, Day 3
Root is now in the league of Tendulkar, Kallis, Sangakarra, Ponting, Dravid which is mighty achievement. If he continues in this rich vein of form for a few years more, he’ll be in a league of his own!
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) July 25, 2025
Indian attack is in complete disarray and the captain is letting the game drift because he has only 2 experienced wicket taking bowlers. Third wicket taking bowler Kuldeep Yadav is forced to cool his heels. Apparently Gill isn't getting inputs from Gambhir and Morkel.
— Makarand Waingankar (@wmakarand) July 25, 2025
Root moves to no 2 and should be odds on favourite to reach 15922. Certainly he has distanced himself from all his contemporaries. England play so many tests that, inevitably, they must hold all test records. Root has played 157 in 13 tests, 12/year. Tendulkar, by comparison,…
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) July 25, 2025
And he does it again .. #Rrroooooooootttttt
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) July 25, 2025
Test hundred number 38! Just another day in the office for Joe Root. What a champion. Well played @root66 👏🏻 #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/JJ3Ey1bCNv
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) July 25, 2025
I fear @Sundarwashi5 is going to get an identity crisis. Is he a bowler? Or a batter who bats lower in the order? This is what happens when you pick 6 bowlers, 1 or even 2 get vastly underbowled
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) July 25, 2025
Read More: ENG vs IND, 4th Test, Day 1: India’s top order blunts England attack; visitors 264-4 at stumps
