4th Test: Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar Hit Centuries As India Defy England To Secure Great Draw
With India at 0/2 and 311 runs behind in the beginning of their second innings, it seemed they would lose the match and the series. But a monumental, strong and resolute batting show – led by hundreds from Shubman Gill (103), Jadeja (107 not out) and Sundar (101 not out) – along with KL Rahul's 90 meant the visitors' conjured up a miraculous escape and secure a memorable, hard-fought draw.
The result also means England, whose bowling performance on day five was iffy, are still up 2-1 going into the last match at The Oval, starting on Thursday. Their frustration on not getting a win was quite evident when Jadeja and Washington, promoted to number five due to Rishabh Pant's injury, refused their offer of an early draw, and went on to achieve their three-figure milestones in a game the visitors' will remember for their bravery and invincibility.
The start of the session saw Stokes bringing himself on and immediately got into variable bounce, including extracting an lbw shout off Gill. Later, Gill got a life on 81 when Liam Dawson dropped his catch at short cover off Stokes' bowling. More despair was in store for England when they took a review on Rahul sweeping off Dawson, but replays showed ball missing stumps, meaning the hosts' lost their final review of this innings.
Stokes' relentlessness was finally rewarded when his unplayable nip-backer skid on and kept low to strike Rahul's pad to trap him lbw for 90, as the 188-run third-wicket stand with Gill came to an end. Gill then pulled Jofra Archer for four, before bringing up his gritty and patient century with a single off Woakes.
It was also Gill's ninth Test hundred and fourth of the ongoing series. But with 15 minutes left for lunch, Archer provided a huge breakthrough for England when Gill suffered a lapse of concentration and poked at his wide outside off stump delivery to nick behind to Jamie Smith.
Archer almost had two out of two wickets if Root hadn't fumbled at slip, giving Jadeja a life on nought, as lunch break arrived. Sundar resumed his innings from 21 by punching Archer for four, before Jadeja flicked him for another boundary.
Though Dawson got some lovely drift, it wasn't of much use as Jadeja drilled him down the ground for four, before flicking Joe Root for another boundary. Sundar brought up his half-century in amazing fashion - hooking Stokes for six, before pulling him for four.
Three balls later, Jadeja raised his fifth fifty of the ongoing series by cutting Stokes for four and found help via Zak Crawley's misfield too to bring out his trademark sword-like celebration.
By then India had got into the lead, which meant an innings defeat was averted and Sundar then chipped Root over four before bringing up the century of his partnership with Jadeja as tea break arrived. The final session started off with Jadeja slogging and driving Dason for a brace of fours, before Sundar leaned into the drive off Woakes for another boundary.
Jadeja began going aggressive by lofting Dawson down the ground for four, before thumping Joe Root for a boundary past mid-on. Jadeja's liking to smash Root didn't stop as smacked and lofted him for two fours, second of which brought up the 150 of his partnership with Sundar, who got into his 80s by driving the part-time off-spinner through extra cover for a boundary.
After India denied Stokes' request to shake hands and settle for a draw at drinks break, Jadeja took a four off Brook, before Sundar unfurled two beautiful cover drives off Root for picking consecutive boundaries.
Sundar entered 90s with a pull off Root for four, before Jadeja got his century by dancing down the pitch to whack Brook for six and smacked another full toss from the part-timer for four. Sundar smacking Brook over extra cover for four brought up 200 of his partnership with Jadeja before a flick got him the two runs needed to raise his first Test century.
Immediately after, the players shook hands for real to end the game in a draw, with India being the happier side, thanks to epic match-saving innings from Rahul, Gill, Jadeja and Sundar keeping the visitors' alive in the five-match series.
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