Throughout the first three Tests of this series, India have won most of the sessions and most of the days, putting them together into a dominant win at Edgbaston.

But England have seized more of the moments, at Headingley and Lord’s, and again today.

This time, India’s main wounds were self-inflicted. They were 212/3 when Rishabh Pant, batting nicely on 37, tried to reverse-sweep Chris Woakes and was struck full on the foot.

A faint edge saved him from England’s LBW review, but his right foot blew up and he had to leave the field on a golf buggy with “AMBULANCE” aspirationally printed on the front windscreen. 

Six overs later, Sai Sudharsan, looking impregnable after compiling a patient maiden half-century, fell into Ben Stokes’ short ball trap and pulled straight to fine leg.

That 212/3 had become effectively 235/5, with Pant unlikely to return.

More importantly, two well-set batters were gone and the lower order exposed in fading light.

They were spared the new ball by the gloom, thanks to the weird convention which states that if it’s a bit cloudy, the batters get to tuck into some part-time spin – rather than the powers that be coming up with either a more visible red ball or a more powerful floodlight.

But the new ball will come tomorrow – how India play it, resuming on 264/4 with Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur both on 19, could well decide the destiny of this series.

Washington Sundar is still to come, but if England can make inroads (and bat well) then they will fancy their chances of an unreachable 3-1 lead.

The day began with Stand B at Emirates Old Trafford being renamed after Sir Clive Lloyd and Farokh Engineer, two overseas greats who excelled under the Red Rose of Lancashire.

Many of the spectators missed the ceremony thanks to long bag-checking queues, but a healthy crowd made it through the gates eventually.

India’s loss at the toss was their 14th in a row in international cricket – a 16,384/1 shot.

Stokes’ decision to ask them to bat looked reasonable in the first hour, as Yashasvi Jaiswal lived a charmed life and KL Rahul simply charmed.

Any such feeling quickly dissipated. By lunch, with India’s openers having steered them to 78/0, it was beginning to look like a shocker.

Woakes had found Jaiswal’s outside edge twice in the first over, but neither went to hand – from then on, the edge proved elusive as the left-hander lived on his nerves.

Rahul, on the other hand, looked as though he didn’t know the meaning of nerves. Brutal on anything wide, and solid enough to dissuade the bowlers from targeting his stumps, he looked as classy as ever.

After the interval, Jaiswal passed 50 and started to expand his repertoire. But England fought back, as this England side tends to (usually having put itself in a position to need a fightback). 

Woakes drew a tentative prod from Rahul on 46, steering to Zak Crawley at third slip.

Then recalled spinner Liam Dawson clipped Jaiswal’s edge with his seventh ball back in Test cricket, ending the left-hander’s stay after 58 runs and at least a dozen play-and-misses. 

Dawson’s full-throated celebration was matched a few overs later by Stokes’ appeal when opposing captain Shubman Gill padded up to a straight one on 12 – umpire Paul Reiffel’s verdict was approved by DRS, and three of India’s dangermen were gone within the session.

All had perished to the old ball, suggesting England had finally picked a good one from this year’s batch.

There was no extravagant turn for Dawson, merely drift and accuracy – the slow left-armer may come into his own later, against a mainly right-handed lower order.

At 149/3, the game was poised nicely at tea. Pant charged at Brydon Carse’s first ball after the interval and occasionally exploded into life – mowing Jofra Archer for four behind square and heaving Carse into the old pavilion – while Sudharsan tucked into anything short and blocked most of the rest.

Stokes and Woakes were the pick of the bowlers, with Archer bowling too straight and Carse too short.

After Pant’s unfortunate departure, Sudharsan drilled Joe Root through the covers to move past 50 – not long after came his rush of blood, and another potentially pivotal moment.