New Delhi: What started as a battle to survive the day for India ended in England’s desperation to call it a day as the Shubman Gill-led visitors produced a spirited batting effort to force a draw in the 4th Test at Old Trafford in Manchester, saving the match and the series. Ben Stokes and the hosts seemed to have had enough when the England captain offered to shake hands, with 15 overs left in the final day’s play.
But India held on, like they had in the last five sessions, to let Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar complete their respective hundreds before declaring their second innings on 425/4 to take a draw that would feel nothing less than a huge morale victory. From 0/2 at the start of the second innings, buried under a mountain of runs, India fought back to pull off one of the greatest escapes in recent Test history.
After losing two wickets on successive deliveries in the first over, chasing a huge 311-run lead in their second innings, India seemed all but out of the Manchester Test. But skipper Shubman Gill led from the front with a magnificent hundred and was supported by the incredibly consistent KL Rahul, before Jadeja and Sundar shared an unbeaten 203-run stand that broke England and saw India secure a defining draw.
India batted for five sessions across two days and faced 143 overs to deny England a victory and the series in what was a remarkable fightback from the visitors. It started with Gill and Rahul taking charge to lift India to 174/2 from 0/2 at stumps on Day 4. The duo kept India in the game despite their horror start to ensure they had enough to battle through the final day.
Ben Stokes stung like a bee early on Day 5 and threatened to break the game open when he got rid of KL Rahul on 90, ending his remarkable 188-run stand with Gill. But it was not England’s day. Gill, who was hit on his finger consistently, braved pain to notch up a gritty century, setting up the tone for a spirited fight from India.
After Gill’s 103, Jadeja and Sundar joined hands to see out the remainder of Day 5. Cornered at the start, India were in command towards the end of the day as the England captain’s request for an early draw was rightfully denied by Jadeja and Sundar. Both batters, having battled through the day, rightfully completed their centuries before India’s declaration.
Jadeja slammed an unbeaten 101, while Sundar notched up his maiden Test hundred en route to his unbeaten 107-run knock. The duo added 203 runs for the 5th wicket, faced 391 deliveries between them and batted for a little more than two sessions to seal a comfortable draw for India.
India turn down Stokes, show throwing in a towel is not for them
For those who might have started watching the Test match on a lazy Sunday on Day 5, India were in a hopeless position after losing a settled Rahul early in the morning session. But the visitors once again showcased why they are not a team that will go down without a fight. For all of Bazball’s claims of not playing for a draw, India had England requesting a draw in the end.
Led phenomenally by Gill with the bat, India grinded physically and mentally over the span of five demanding sessions to secure what would feel like a ‘victory’ heading into the final fifth Test at the Oval. Though the visitors cannot claim the series, they have kept England waiting and would feel their devastation by the end of the Manchester Test would be India’s biggest ally when they head to the Oval, with an aim to pull the series level at 2-2.
In turning down Stokes’ request for an early draw, India also sent out a strong message that they were here to compete and not merely be the challengers. As much as it did well for the optics, India will draw solace from England’s desperation, which showed in the behaviour of skipper Stokes, who angrily snubbed handshakes with Jadeja and Sundar after being left humiliated by the duo, who paid no heed to his request and his sledging tactics.
With the series still at 2-1 after the draw, Gill & Co. will hope to carry the momentum from the final day at Old Trafford into the 5th Test at the Kennington Oval in London as they look to deny England victory and tie the series at 2-2.
India do it without braveheart Rishabh Pant
While it was an incredible fightback from India to force a draw from nearly an impossible situation at 0/2 at the start of their second innings, India would further rejoice in the fact that they managed to pull it off without needing the braveheart Rishabh Pant. Despite having fractured his toe on Day 1, Pant came out to bat during India’s first innings and was ready to do so again, if needed, on Day 5.
Such was the determination of the left-hander to help his team save the Test match and the series that he had no second thoughts about risking aggravating an injury. However, fortunately, his services wasn’t required thanks to an exceptional effort from Gill and Rahul followed by Jadeja and Sundar, who stood tall under pressure and battled through all odds to keep India in the series.