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Times of Oman
4 days ago
- Sport
- Times of Oman
Jadeja scripts history in England with record-breaking century; shares epic stand with Sundar to save Test
Manchester: Ravindra Jadeja continued to etch his name in Indian cricket folklore with a heroic unbeaten 107 at Old Trafford, Manchester, that not only helped India secure a hard-fought draw in the fourth Test but also saw him break several records along the way. Jadeja became the first Indian to score two Test centuries in England while batting at No.6 or lower, a rare feat that highlights his evolution as a reliable middle-order batter in overseas conditions. With this latest hundred, Jadeja now has 454 runs in the series, surpassing MS Dhoni's tally of 349 runs in the 2014 England tour, making it the most prolific series in England by an Asian batter batting at No.6 or below. Jadeja, during the second session of the fifth and final day of the fourth Test, joined the likes of England's Wilfred Rhodes and West Indies' Garry Sobers to become the third cricketer to score 1000 runs and pick 30 wickets in an away country. The left-hand batter completed his 1000 runs in away Tests in England. Earlier in the second innings, Jadeja snapped four wickets in 37.1 overs of bowling, where he conceded 143 runs at an economy of 3.8. He took the wickets of Zak Crawley, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, and Brydon Carse in his spell. With these four wickets, the left-arm spinner completed 30 wickets in away Test matches in England. Another highlight of Day 5 was the unbreakable partnership between Jadeja and Washington Sundar. Walking into a pressure situation with India still trailing, the duo showed remarkable grit and composure to put together an unbeaten 203-run stand for the fifth wicket, now the highest fifth-wicket partnership by an Indian pair in England. Sundar, playing with maturity, brought up his maiden Test hundred and remained unbeaten on 101, matching Jadeja's calmness and stroke-play throughout the session. Their partnership also marked India's 10th century stand in this series, making it the second-most in a single Test series for India, just behind the 11 century stands recorded against West Indies at home in 1978/79.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
India head coach Gautam Gambhir defends decision to refuse Stokes' offer
Gautam Gambhir, India's head coach, offered a strident defence of his side as Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar – much to England's annoyance – hit centuries in a bizarre finish to the drawn fourth Test at Old Trafford. After Jadeja and Sundar batted resolutely to rule out an English win, Ben Stokes offered to shake hands with 15 overs remaining on day five. But with both batters approaching three figures – Sundar on 80, Jadeja on 89 – India continued to bat until both reached three figures. Stokes, wishing to rest his frontline bowlers, brought on Harry Brook, who dished up some helpful offerings to the pair of southpaws. He conceded 24 off three overs, the contest concluding with Sundar reaching his maiden Test century. 'You hold your hands up, they played incredibly well,' Stokes said. 'But I don't think there would have been too much more satisfaction from walking off 100 not out, getting your team out of a tricky situation, than walking off at 80, 90 not out. That's what you've done for your team. 'Ten more runs or whatever it was ain't going to change the fact that you've managed to get your team out of a very tricky situation and almost saved your team from a series defeat before the last game. 'We took the game as far as we could with our frontline bowlers. As soon as it got to that point where the draw was inevitable, I was never going to risk my frontline bowlers with the short turnaround that we have and the workload that we've got through this week and throughout this series as well. 'I did have to tell [Brook]: 'Don't do anything stupid.' We've spent a lot of time out in the field, can't have you pulling a side or doing anything different.' Gambhir thought differently of the situation. 'If someone is batting on 90 and the other one is batting on 85, don't they deserve a hundred? Would they have walked off? If someone from the England side would have been batting on 90 or 85, if someone had the opportunity to get his first Test hundred, wouldn't you allow him to do it, if they weathered the storm? It's up to them. If they want to play that way, that's up to them. I've got nothing more to say.' Stokes endured a significant workload during the Test. While he celebrated hitting a century and taking a five-wicket haul, the all-rounder grimaced through his spell on the fifth morning. Asked how he was feeling, he replied: 'Mentally, decent. Physically, been better. 'It's been a pretty big workload so far in the series. Another big last week at Lord's, the time I spent out in the middle with bat in hand and overs bowled. And then same again this week. I said a few times to the guys out there: 'Pain is just an emotion.' It's just one of those things.' Sign up to The Spin Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week's action after newsletter promotion Stokes did not offer complete certainty over whether he will play the final Test at the Oval, which begins on Thursday, although – through a confusing use of words – suggested he will be present as England aim to secure a series victory. 'You look at how long we've been out in the field and the overs that we bowled as a bowling unit, everyone's going to be pretty sore and pretty tired going into the last game of the series,' Stokes said. 'I think there will be an assessment of everyone and hopefully we can use these next two to three days' rest wisely and then have to make a decision. 'These recovery days are going to be pretty important and we might have to make a few decisions to get some fresh legs in. But that won't be decided until we get closer to the last game. I don't want to eat my words, but the likelihood that I won't play is very unlikely.'
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
How Ben Stokes produced the greatest all-round Test of his life
Even after just two innings of this match, when an injury cloud gathered over his involvement in its remainder, Ben Stokes had done what he never had in 115 previous Tests by scoring a century and taking a five-wicket haul. His celebrations told a tale. The first, for his first five-wicket haul in eight years, was a sheepish raise of the ball. He has been the best bowler on either side in this series, but it had been a very long time between drinks. Two days later, Stokes was celebrating his first Test hundred for more than two years. In many ways, that had been a more worrying barren run, his longest between tons in Tests. The emotion was exhausted relief. He slowly looked to the sky and shaped his fingers to honour his late father, Ged, as he took time to soak up the adoration of the Old Trafford crowd. 5-wicket haul with the ball Century with the bat Top wicket-taker in the series THE CAPTAIN – BEN STOKES LEADING FROM THE FRONT AGAINST INDIA! 🔥 — junaiz (@Cricjunaizdaily) July 26, 2025 Late in a knackering series, it had been an exhausting innings, featuring a break for cramp the afternoon before. Stokes was so exhausted that he would not bowl in the evening session. Stokes's double is rare. Only three Englishmen have done it before: Tony Greig, Ian Botham (five times!), and the slightly incongruous Gus Atkinson, against Sri Lanka last summer. None of them did it at captain. To add further statistical substance, Stokes passed 7,000 Test runs. Only Garfield Sobers and Jacques Kallis have that many as well as 200 Test wickets. Ben Stokes, who brought up 7,000 Test runs during his 141 against India, is also only the third player to combine that milestone with 200 Test wickets 👏 #ENGvIND — Wisden (@WisdenCricket) July 26, 2025 Before this, Stokes had not even taken five wickets across both innings in any of the 13 matches he scored a hundred, and he had never had an innings of more than 60 in the four Tests he had taken a five-fer. His great all-round Tests have been defined by clutch contributions with bat and ball, such as Lord's last week, when he was named man of the match for the 11th time for 77 runs, five wickets, the vital run out of Rishabh Pant and his calm captaincy. Clearly, Stokes has had more dramatic, dynamic impacts on Tests – think his epic spell at Headingley before his 135 not out – but this is already his greatest all-round match, statistically at least. For much of those two years, since his last hundred (at Lord's against Australia after Jonny Bairstow's stumping), Stokes's batting has been painful, with an average below 30 and severe struggles against spin. Managing his body to allow him to bowl at full tilt denied him time at the crease to build rhythm. It has also physically knackered him, as the need to briefly retire hurt on the third afternoon showed. Returning at the fall of the seventh wicket, and then arriving early for a massage, a bowl, and a net on the fourth day, Stokes managed the situation smartly in the knowledge that England's route to victory in this game was piling on runs so the team batted just once. 𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒅. — England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 26, 2025 For all that he lacked match practise, he has looked a little better with each innings. That is not to say this was Stokes at his fluent best – far from it. He was workmanlike and rugged, in the image of the team he is trying to build. With the bat, Stokes has always been the standard-bearer for this team. In the early days, he swung for the hills, looking to install a no-fear attitude, and encouraged Bairstow to hit every ball for six. Now, his modus operandi is more ruthless. Stokes struggled in the nineties, and the four with which he reached his hundred, turned round the corner to fine leg, was just his ninth, and only after reaching the milestone did he take any risks, launching the spinners down the ground. Eventually, that proved his downfall as he was caught at long-on. He walked off with a huge patch of dirt down his front, from diving for his ground, a neat emblem for a grafter's innings. Runs for him represent a final piece in the jigsaw for this batting lineup; every member of the top seven now has a century this summer. His innings ensured that this, at 157 overs, was England's longest of the Bazball era. Straight out of the manual! Ben Stokes with that textbook elegance 🔥 #INDvsENG #BenStokes — MindSportsMarvel (@MSportsMarvel) July 26, 2025 Stokes's inability to bowl in the third innings was a reminder that he is 34 and, for all that he is better at managing his body now, the mental and physical workload he has had in this series takes a huge amount of him. The legacy of Stokes's Test will be defined by its final day. As special as a century and five-wicket haul are, for the player himself, that contribution will mean little if the team do not win. If they are to, they surely need Stokes to lift himself off the canvas once more and add to the wickets column.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
India hit back after Ben Stokes lifts England's hopes of wrapping up Test series
England captain Ben Stokes ended a two-year Test century drought but opposite number Shubman Gill and opener KL Rahul gave India hope of escaping Emirates Old Trafford with a draw. Stokes advancing from an overnight 77 to 141 was his first three-figure Test score since the 2023 Ashes and his 14th overall, helping England to 669 all out – their highest home total in the Bazball era. Chris Woakes' double-wicket maiden when India had not eaten into a 311-run first-innings deficit might have had England dreaming of sealing an unassailable 3-1 series lead in four days but Gill and Rahul had other ideas. Gill survived a tricky period after lunch to reach stumps on 78 not out, with Rahul unbeaten on 87, and the pair have given India, who closed on 174 for two to trail by 137, reason to believe they can see out the final day of this fourth Rothesay Test and set up a Kia Oval decider next week. Gill offered one chance just before getting to 50 as he was put down by Liam Dawson, who offered England control with his left-arm spin but could not make the breakthrough in recording 22-8-36-0. Stokes curiously did not bring himself on in the 63 overs his side sent down, with even Joe Root called upon to bowl five, despite England's talismanic all-rounder claiming five for 72 first time around. Stokes has this week become just the fourth Englishman to record a century and a five-wicket haul in the same Test – after Tony Greig, Ian Botham and Gus Atkinson – and England struggled in his absence. He suffered with cramp in his left leg the previous evening but showed no obvious signs when batting or fielding of the issue lingering. Indeed, he was put through his paces first thing when England resumed on 544 for seven as he had to scamper to complete a single, getting home despite despite Anshul Kamboj's direct hit from mid-on. While Liam Dawson was bowled by a Jasprit Bumrah scuttler for 26, having fended off a lifter from a length the previous ball, Stokes raced to 99 but spent seven balls and a nervy wait to bring up a ton. He did so with a leg-side glance for four off Mohammed Siraj, then removed his helmet and left glove and made a customary crooked finger gesture while staring skywards in tribute to his late father, Ged. Stokes then moved into the 7,000 runs, 200 wickets club in Tests – Jacques Kallis and Sir Garfield Sobers are the other members – in style by belting Washington Sundar back over his head for six. Ravindra Jadeja was twice taken the distance by Stokes as England went beyond 650, but he and Carse, who made a useful 47, holed out to the spinner, leaving India a tricky 15-minute period to bat before lunch. Woakes made the breakthrough with his fourth ball when Yashasvi Jaiswal was squared up and edged to first slip, where Joe Root was unable to cling on at the first attempt but scooped up the rebound. Sai Sudharsan was then surprised by the extra bounce as his attempt to shoulder arms caught the edge to Harry Brook but Gill survived the hat-trick ball, struck on the pads and obviously drifting down leg. He was still on nought when Jofra Archer lobbied Stokes to query a yorker that speared into Gill's pads immediately after lunch. However, third umpire Kumar Dharmasena was unable to discern whether Gill's bat or pad had been struck first so Ahsan Raza's original decision stood and England lost a review. Gill was then struck on the bottom glove in the same over, which he took off to reveal a bandaged hand, but India's number four refused to be cowed and rode out the storm before finding some fluency. There were two eye-catching, back-to-back straight drives for four off Brydon Carse, who drew Gill's edge on 46 only for Dawson to spill a difficult chance diving to his right at backward point. Stokes stayed out of the attack and Rahul came out of his shell, catching up with then overtaking Gill. Rahul continued his record of a 50-plus score in every Test in this series and he and Gill patiently saw India through to stumps in glorious batter-friendly conditions.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Shubman Gill and KL Rahul hold up England's push for fourth-Test victory
India captain Shubman Gill and opener KL Rahul slowed England's push to seal a Rothesay series win after Ben Stokes ended a two-year wait for a Test century. The England skipper had been without a three-figure score since the 2023 Ashes but he turned his overnight 77 into 141 on the fourth morning as his side were all out for 669 at Emirates Old Trafford. When Chris Woakes removed Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan from successive deliveries with India yet to eat into a 311-run deficit, England might have had hopes of quickly wrapping up a 3-1 series lead. But following a tough start to the afternoon session, Gill made 52 not out, having been dropped on 46 by Liam Dawson, and Rahul an unbeaten 30 as India went to tea on 86 for two, still trailing by 225. England's total was their highest at home in the Bazball era, with only the 823 they amassed in Multan last October eclipsing it, with Stokes to the fore on Saturday as he recorded a 14th Test hundred. He also joined Lord Botham, Tony Greig and Gus Atkinson as the only Englishmen to make a ton and take a five-wicket haul in the same match although he curiously did not bowl himself on Saturday afternoon. Having struggled with cramp the previous evening, Stokes was put through his paces first thing, scampering through for a single, getting home despite Anshul Kamboj's direct hit from mid-on. Stokes smeared Mohammed Siraj twice through the covers but lost Dawson for company after he was bowled by one that kept low from Jasprit Bumrah, having fended one off a length the ball before. Stokes breezed to 99 but then played and missed at Bumrah, facing five more nervous dots before glancing Siraj off his pads for his ninth four and 14th Test ton, which he celebrated by removing his left glove and doing his crooked finger celebration, looking at the sky in memory of his father, Ged. Stokes went to 7,000 Test runs in style by thrashing off-spinner Washington Sundar back over his head for six then reverse-sweeping him for four after England's total had gone past 600. Ravindra Jadeja was also carted for a couple of sixes before Stokes holed out while Brydon Carse did likewise in the slow left-arm spinner's next over, leaving India a tricky 15-minute period to bat before lunch. They were unable to emerge unscathed as Woakes squared up Yashasvi Jaiswal fourth ball, with Joe Root initially unable to cling on but scooping the rebound just above the turf. It got even better as Sai Sudharsan shaped to leave the next delivery but the ball took the edge and flew to Harry Brook. Gill negotiated the hat-trick ball, albeit after being rapped on the pad with Woakes' optimistic appeal turned down, but he had to overcome a testing period immediately after lunch from Jofra Archer. England's fast bowler pleaded for a review after locating Gill's front pad but the third umpire was unable to detect whether bat was involved first so the on-field official's not out decision remained. Gill's bottom hand, already bandaged, was struck two deliveries later while he survived another lbw in an eventful first over back but he rode out the storm and found some fluency as the ball got older. With Rahul appearing totally unflustered, England went up for a desperate lbw when Gill was on 45 before he was put down on 46 as a diving Liam Dawson shelled a difficult chance at backward point. Despite his first-innings five-for, Stokes did not bring himself on, even turning to Root to turn his arm over just before tea, with Gill bringing up a fifty to end the session.
