At the end of five exhausting days that produced plenty of memories but no outright winner, it was India who were celebrating. England believed they had made most of the running in this fourth Test, only to be thwarted by a monumental final-day rearguard and left chuntering about a couple of milestones delaying the handshakes.
Sitting 2-1 down with one to play, Shubman Gill’s tourists can no longer win the series outright but they will head to the Oval buoyed by drawing this match. Ben Stokes gave it everything — 141 in England’s first innings, six wickets with the ball — and could reflect on his finest all-round match by way of numbers. But this was scant consolation after pushing through the pain barrier for the outcome he says he dislikes the most.
It was just the second time under his captaincy that Stokes has had to settle for a draw but unlike the previous one – two years ago, when England’s hopes of regaining the Ashes were washed away by relentless rain here – there were no gripes about the Manchester weather. The final day stayed dry and India, who started it on 174 for two, still 137 runs in arrears, batted out three sessions for the loss of just two more wickets.
As much as England toiled, continuing a series in which their potency has dropped off after the new ball, this came down to a hugely uncompromising display from India’s batters. The surface may have produced more Mogwais than Gremlins on its fifth day but from none for two before lunch on the fourth, 311 behind having shipped 669 runs in the field, lesser sides might have wilted under scoreboard pressure alone.
Yet they repelled everything to reach 425 for four from 143 overs of sheer bloody-mindedness. Gill’s masterful 103 from 238 balls, and KL Rahul’s 90, had set a template then followed assiduously by Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar after lunch. Jadeja made an unbeaten 107 from 185 balls, with Sundar 101 not out from 206 – even if the completion of these centuries triggered the latest niggle in this hard-fought series.
At 5.20pm, the start of the final hour, India had reached 386 for four and, leading by 75 runs, the outcome had long since been known. Stokes wanted to lead his weary players off the field, but Gill sat unmoved in the away dressing room. His preference, not unreasonably, was to see Jadeja, on 89 at the time, and Sundar, on 80, tick off the personal milestones that their efforts deserved – irritating the hosts was simply a bonus.
And so to the chagrin of England, and the delight of the Indian supporters who stayed later than many of their equivalents, 28 more deliveries were sent down. Jadeja smoked Harry Brook for six to register his fifth Test century, before Sundar drilled a four to claim his first and bring the end of the match. Having chirped relentlessly during these prickly final few moments, Brook had no choice but to suck it up.
Beyond India’s robust fightback – and the late gripes that did not reflect well on the hosts – in time this Test will be remembered most possibly for its third day. With his 38th Test century, Joe Root vaulted three greats in Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting to go second behind Sachin Tendulkar in the all‑time run charts.
Although another enduring image was that of Stokes, who pushed himself to the limit and was player of the match once more. All eyes were on him before the start of play, having not bowled on day four. And despite repeatedly grabbing his right hamstring, and also troubled by biceps tendon soreness, he sent down an eight-over burst first thing. Sure enough, it produced the first incision with the 19th ball that thundered down.
It was the kind of delivery that underlined England’s status as favourites, the ball jagging back and staying low to pin Rahul for an lbw so plumb that neither an appeal from Stokes – or a review from the opener – were deemed necessary. Classic Stokes, in many ways. Although whether he can go again with the ball by Thursday will be a talking point during the three-day break. Both attacks will certainly be freshened up.
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That spell also produced a chance to take out Gill when, on 81, a drive burst through the hands of Ollie Pope at cover. Jofra Archer eventually profited from a bit of bounce to find the edge with the second new ball but not before Gill’s fourth century of the tour. Don Bradman and Sunil Gavaskar are the only previous Test captains to make as many in a single series, but Gill is the first to do so away from home.
Archer’s breakthrough should have been followed by a second straight after, Jadeja slashing at a wide one first ball and Root unable to cling on at slip. This was the biggest sliding‑doors moment, it transpired, as from 223 for four at lunch Jadeja and Sundar held firm through to the close. Liam Dawson sent down 47 wicketless overs despite footholes to work with, while England’s seamers increasingly ran out of gas.
The dominance was probably summed up best by three more overs of grimace from Stokes in which both left-handers brought up their half-centuries with easy boundaries and pushed their team into the lead. At the end, having calmed down from the needless milestone issue, Stokes offered words of praise for the pair digging so deep.
Had England shown the same resolve on the final day at Edgbaston, the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy would already have its first winner. As it is, they head to London with a job still to do if this unyielding India side is to be defeated.
