INDIA TOUR OF ENGLAND, 2025
Jadeja and Washington hit © Getty
Two defiant stands, first between KL Rahul and Shubman Gill and then between Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja, saw India play out just the second draw in Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum’s Bazball era. England were still in the game after the first session where they had managed to dismiss both Rahul and Gill but failed to make further inroads as Jadeja and Washington, who reached centuries in the final moments of the Test, showcased exemplary skill and resolve to shut the door on the opposition. It means that the series remains alive when the two teams face each other in the fifth Test at The Oval starting Thursday, July 31.
The morning session saw Rahul and Gill extend their dogged stand – one that helped India avert a crisis last evening. But on a wearing surface with uneven bounce where some deliveries bounced menacingly high while some others kept perilously low, England continued to pose challenges. Stokes, who did not bowl on Day 4 owing to cramp, looked particularly threatening and handed his side the first breakthrough of the day when he trapped Rahul LBW for 90 with an in-decker that kept treacherously low.
Gill, meanwhile, survived a couple of close LBW shouts and a blow to his glove en-route to his eighth Test ton. The Indian captain’s resolve, however, wore thin late in the session when he was out caught chasing a wide delivery from Jofra Archer giving England an opening. Jadeja was then dropped by Joe Root at slip very next delivery – a moment England will rue during their reflection as it was the last real chance they would create for the rest of the day.
The Indian pair of Jadeja and Washington shrugged off the morning session’s late jolts and maintained a defiant approach – one that paralleled the earlier efforts of Rahul and Gill – post lunch while steadily chipping away at England’s lead. While England’s pacers continued to extract uneven bounce and the spinners some grip and turn out of the footmarks, the merit-based approach of India’s left-handed pair stood out. Despite the ball beating the bat regularly, the duo remained unfazed, taking opportunities to score when they were presented.
With confidence beginning to grow, they began to adopt a more attacking approach, one that was evident when Washington struck a six and a four to bring up his fifty in style while Jadeja celebrated his own fifty with a boundary three balls later.
The duo were a lot sterner at the start of the final session – trading their cautious yet positive approach for a staunchly counter-attacking one. Jadeja, in particular, displayed an obvious shift in mentality when he attacked Liam Dawson twice by charging down the wicket in the second over of the session. Barring a few hopeful appeals for LBW, England continued to toil unsuccessfully as the day dragged on. With the Indian pair showing no real signs of cracking, Stokes called on Archer for a spell of short bowling – one that yielded no favourable results either. The Indians marched on steadfast with centuries in sight and refused to shake hands when Stokes offered to when the final hour was signalled.
An unimpressed England side were forced to bowl on as both Jadeja and Washington shifted into even higher gears with the latter smashing three consecutive boundaries off Root. The entertainment continued as Jadeja reached three-figures with a six after helping himself to the freebies offered by Harry Brook. Washington too would bring up his maiden Test ton in Brook’s following over before the players finally shook hands confirming a draw.
Brief scores: India 358 (Sai Sudharsan 61, Yashasvi Jaiswal 58; Ben Stokes 5-72) & 425/4 (Ravindra Jadeja 107*, Shubman Gill 103, Washington Sundar 101*; Chris Woakes 2-77) drew with England 669 (Joe Root 150, Ben Stokes 141; Ravindra Jadeja 4-143).
© Cricbuzz
