KL Rahul added a new feather to his cap during the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, Manchester, by becoming only the fourth Indian batter to score over 1000 Test runs in England. He overtook Virat Kohli’s tally of 976 runs and reached this milestone on Day 1 of the match.
The 32-year-old opener has been in splendid form throughout this tour, and during his latest knock, he also crossed the 400-run mark in the current series. Having already scored centuries at Edgbaston and Lord’s, Rahul’s consistency has helped him climb the ranks. Only Sachin Tendulkar (1575), Rahul Dravid (1376), and Sunil Gavaskar (1152) are now ahead of him in terms of Test runs scored in England by Indian players.
Changes In India’s Playing XI for Manchester Test
India, trailing 1-2 in the five-match series, faced England on a green-tinged pitch after Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bowl first. The Indian side made three changes from the previous match. Anshul Kamboj received his maiden Test cap in place of the injured Akash Deep. The 23-year-old fast bowler from Haryana was chosen over the more experienced Prasidh Krishna.
His impressive performances in training sessions had caught the attention of the team management and selector Gautam Gambhir. Sai Sudharsan replaced Karun Nair, while Shardul Thakur returned to the playing XI, replacing Nitish Kumar Reddy. These changes were aimed at strengthening both the batting and bowling units as India looked to bounce back in the series.
Rahul’s Impact in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy
KL Rahul’s contributions have been a crucial pillar in India’s campaign during this tour of England. In the opening session at Old Trafford, he batted steadily alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, despite the early movement extracted by English pacers. His patience and shot selection were notable, especially in the earlier Lord’s Test where he stood firm in both innings even as wickets fell around him.
With two centuries already in the bag, Rahul has proved to be India’s most reliable batter in this series. His performances have been instrumental in keeping India competitive, and the team now hopes that his steady form will help them level the series 2-2 and push for a thrilling finale at The Oval.
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