Manchester, July 26 -- England are keeping fingers crossed that their star all-rounder Ben Stokes will be fit enough to bowl on the final day of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, after KL Rahul and Shubman Gill stitched together a marathon partnership that left England struggling without their main man with the ball.

Stokes, who has been the leading wicket-taker in the series, did not bowl a single delivery in India's second innings for the first 63 overs, as India ended Day 4 with 174/2. The England camp revealed he was feeling stiff and sore, and his availability for Day 5 will now depend on overnight assessment by the medical team.

India, who were reeling early in the innings, bounced back in style as Rahul and Gill added an unbroken ...