Manchester, July 23 (IANS) KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal showed immense patience and grit to stitch an unbroken opening stand and help India reach 78 for no loss in 26 overs at lunch on Day One of the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series against England at Old Trafford here on Wednesday.

After England won the toss and put India into batting first, Rahul was at his composed best and played late to be unbeaten on 40 off 82 deliveries. Jaiswal, meanwhile, showed patience and immaculate discipline in the face of England’s bowlers getting seam movement, to be 36 not out off 74 balls.

It was a session where England toiled hard and got movement plus bounce. But Rahul and Jaiswal ensured India didn’t lose a single wicket in the session, especially after skipper Shubman Gill felt it was a good toss to lose.

Jaiswal rode his luck when Chris Woakes repeatedly beat him on the outside edge, but the veteran pace bowling all-rounder couldn’t find an edge in his marathon eight-over spell, with the left-handed opener taking three fours off him while Rahul hit him for two boundaries.

When Brydon Carse came in, Rahul cut him twice to the boundary, before Jaiswal carved him in the gap between third slip and gully. Rahul went past 400 runs in the series and faced Jofra Archer more than his younger partner Jaiswal, who fell to the pacer twice at the Lord’s.

After cutting Ben Stokes for four, Jaiswal got a lucky boundary off Archer for four, before upper-cutting the England skipper for six, as he and Rahul helped India get through the session without losing a wicket and would start to get the edge ahead of England in the second session.

Brief scores:

India 78 for no loss in 26 overs (KL Rahul 40 not out, Yashasvi Jaiswal 36 not out) against England

–IANS

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