India began their pursuit of England's 205-run lead on the opening day of the series' final Test, but suffered an immediate setback when opener Shubman Gill was dismissed for zero via an LBW from Anderson.
As India set to chase England’s lead of 205 runs the team lost its opener, Shubhman Gill, on the first day of play in the fourth and final Test of the series. Gill returned to the pavilion without disturbing the scoreboard early as he was dismissed by Anderson by LBW.
England took the decision to bat first after winning the toss, seeing potential in the pitch's bounce and spin. Although they only managed to scrape past 200 runs—a modest total—it was a more respectable showing than their performance in the previous Test.
When play ended for the day, India was 24-1. Despite the early wicket, Rohit Sharma (8) and Cheteshwar Pujara (15) managed to settle the nerves, balancing a few boundaries with a firm defensive stand.
Axar Patel led the bowling attack with an impressive 4/68, while Ashwin (3/47) and Siraj (2/45) provided strong support. England's resistance came primarily from Ben Stokes (55) and Daniel Lawrence (46), with Bairstow and Ollie Pope adding valuable runs through aggressive play to reach the 200-mark. Had Lawrence played with a bit more patience, England might have reached a much more threatening total.
With a 2-1 series lead, India only needs to secure a draw in this match to book their spot in the World Test Championship final against New Zealand this June.