Two resilient partnerships—first between KL Rahul and Shubman Gill, and later between Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar—helped India secure a hard-fought draw in the fourth Test, only the second stalemate in England’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ era under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.
The result means the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy is still alive heading into the fifth and final Test at The Oval, starting Thursday, July 31.
Morning Session: Rahul-Gill Stand Holds Firm, But England Fight Back
India resumed on the final day at 264/2 with Rahul and Gill continuing their gritty partnership that had rescued India from early trouble. On a pitch with increasingly uneven bounce, the pair battled challenging conditions—some deliveries rose steeply while others stayed low.
Stokes, who had not bowled on Day 4 due to cramp, returned to the attack and struck early, trapping Rahul LBW for 90 with a delivery that kept low. Gill, meanwhile, reached his eighth Test century but was dismissed late in the session, chasing a wide ball from Jofra Archer and edging behind. That gave England a glimmer of hope.
They nearly cashed in immediately, when Jadeja edged his very first ball to slip—but Joe Root put down a difficult chance. It would prove to be England’s final real opportunity.
Afternoon to Evening: Jadeja-Washington Shut the Door
After lunch, India’s lower middle-order pair took over. Jadeja and Washington Sundar were calm, disciplined, and technically astute. Despite the ball occasionally beating the bat and the odd delivery misbehaving, both batters stayed composed.
Washington brought up his half-century in style with a six and a four, and Jadeja followed shortly after with a boundary of his own. The duo began to shift gears in the final session, adopting a more aggressive approach against England’s spin options.
Jadeja showed clear intent, stepping out to attack Liam Dawson early in the session. England’s bowlers toiled with little reward, and even a short-ball barrage from Archer didn’t trouble the Indians. As the final hour approached, Stokes offered a handshake to call the game off—but the Indian batters declined, eyeing their centuries.
Milestones and a Final Handshake
What followed was a flourish of attacking strokes. Washington slammed three consecutive boundaries off Joe Root, while Jadeja launched Harry Brook for a six to reach his fifth Test hundred. In the next over, Washington notched up his maiden Test century, also off Brook.
With both centuries achieved, the teams finally shook hands, confirming the match as a draw.
Brief Scores
England: 669 (Joe Root 150, Ben Stokes 141; Ravindra Jadeja 4/143)
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)
