Rahul and Gill frustrate England in fourth Test after Stokes century
That left India more than 300 runs behind England's mammoth first-innings 669 all out, featuring Stokes' superb 141.
But an engrossing series of several twists and turns produced another as India reached stumps on the fourth day without further loss at 174-2.
KL Rahul was 87 not out and Gill 78 not out after the stubborn duo defied England's toiling bowlers for nearly five hours at an increasingly sun-drenched Old Trafford.
India still face a deficit of 137 runs but have renewed hope of leaving Manchester with what would be a commendable draw after England, already 2-1 up in this five-match series, compiled their fifth-highest Test total of all time.
It was a return to form for Gill, who had started his first series as India skipper with three hundreds in four innings, only to manage 34 runs in total in his last three knocks.
"We thought we could get a few more wickets after the start... but it was not to be," England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick told Sky Sports.
"They (Rahul and Gill) stuck at it well," the former England opener added.
No bowling for Stokes
Stokes did not bowl himself Saturday -- a concerning sign for England following his history of hamstring trouble -- after taking an excellent 5-72 in India's first-innings 358.
Trescothick, asked if Stokes, the pick of England's attack this series, would bowl again in the match, replied: "We are waiting to see.
"He is obviously stiff and sore, has had a big workload in the last few weeks and again in this game and had a bit of cramp while he was batting mainly yesterday (Friday)."
In Stokes's absence, England's bowlers lacked penetration after Woakes' double strike, with recalled spinner Liam Dawson rarely turning the ball.
But the second ball after lunch saw Gill, still on nought, survive an impassioned lbw appeal from fast bowler Jofra Archer.
England's review proved inconclusive over whether the ball had hit bat or pad first and the original not out decision was upheld.
Gill had made two when Archer had another lbw appeal rejected, with the express quick down on his haunches in disbelief.
The 25-year-old Gill then hit back with two boundaries in three balls from Woakes -- a dashing cut followed by a textbook straight drive.
But he might have been out for 46 when an edge off Brydon Carse flew high to point only for Dawson to drop a two-handed chance.
Rahul mainly repelled England with sound defence, hitting just eight fours in 210 balls.
But the obdurate opener attacked when Archer strayed in direction with an elegant late cut and forceful pull.
Stokes hits out
England resumed in command at 544-7 after Joe Root had become the second-highest run-scorer in Test history during his majestic 150 on Friday.
Stokes, 77 not out overnight, delighted Saturday's large crowd with yet more thrilling stroke-play before completing a 164-ball hundred with a leg-glanced four off Jasprit Bumrah.
It was Stokes's first Test century in more than two years following a whirlwind 155 against Australia at Lord's in June 2023.
The 34-year-old celebrated his 14th hundred in 115 Tests by clenching his fist, looking to the sky and making a crooked finger gesture in honour of his late father Ged before raising his bat.
His century meant Stokes became just the fourth England player to take five wickets and score a hundred in the same Test after Tony Greig, Ian Botham -- who did it five times -- and the currently sidelined Gus Atkinson.
With the shackles off, left-handed batsman Stokes hit out.
But one ball after launching left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja for six, he holed out off the all-rounder, with England exactly 300 runs ahead at 658-9.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
England v India: Three talking points
The tourists came back from the dead in the deciding match, taking the last seven England wickets for just 66 runs to finish the series all-square at 2-2. India arguably won more sessions than they lost over the five Tests, though England were clinical in key moments before failing to press home their advantage in the final match. AFP Sport picks out three talking points from an enthralling series. Siraj steps up as India's main man Mohammed Siraj ultimately proved the difference-maker for India, taking three wickets for nine runs in a match-winning spell on the final morning at the Oval. The paceman was named player of the match for his figures of nine wickets for 190 runs. Over the course of the series, in which he played every game, Siraj bowled an energy-sapping 185.3 overs, finishing as the leading wicket-taker on either side, with 23 scalps. India made it clear before the series that pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah would only play three Tests and stayed true to their word, leaving the world's top-ranked bowler out of the final game. But Siraj ultimately made sure the tourists did not miss him at the Oval. "When I woke up today (Monday), I thought I could do it. I downloaded a picture from Google saying 'believe'," said Siraj. Gill shines with the bat as he learns captaincy ropes Shubman Gill has just embarked on one of the toughest jobs in world sport -- leading a team that carries with it the hopes and dreams of 1.4 billion people. He has been mesmerising with the bat in England, falling just short of overhauling Sunil Gavaskar's long-standing Indian record tally of 774 runs in a series. India's player-of-the-series has also grown into his role as skipper and oversaw a victory in the final Test when all had seemed lost. The 25-year-old, who replaced Rohit Sharma as captain in May, arrived in England with a modest Test average of 35. But he has led from the front to make 754 runs, including four centuries, finishing just 20 runs behind Gavaskar's mark, set against the West Indies in 1971. Gill combines elegant, classical batting with an ability to go through the gears when necessary. This was most eye-catchingly showcased at Edgbaston, where he scored a majestic 269 in the first innings and a turbo-charged 161 in the second. Gill's batting in England will live long in the memory and his reign as captain is off to a solid start. Stokes still England's magic man Ben Stokes sat out the fifth Test victory with a shoulder injury but has again demonstrated emphatically the value of a genuine all-rounder in the modern game. The England skipper, 34, consistently looked the most dangerous of the home side's bowlers, taking 17 wickets at 25 in 140 overs -- the most he has ever bowled in a series. He also played a crucial role with the bat, scoring 141 in England's mammoth total of 669 in the drawn fourth Test at Old Trafford. England's bowling at times lacked penetration during the series but Stokes still possesses the rare ability to change a game in the blink of an eye. The skipper has battled a succession of injuries but England will be desperate to have him on the plane to Australia for the Ashes, which start in November. Express paceman Jofra Archer made a welcome return to the Test arena against India but played just two matches and his workload is being managed carefully. Mark Wood, another bowler with genuine pace, has not played Test cricket for nearly 12 months and had knee surgery earlier this year.
France 24
3 hours ago
- France 24
Frustrated Stokes refuses to blame Brook for England collapse
The five-match series finished 2-2 after India sealed a dramatic six-run win on Monday, with paceman Mohammed Siraj taking three of the four wickets to fall on the final morning. England, chasing a daunting 374 runs to win, had been cruising at 301-3 on Sunday, with Brook and Joe Root at the crease. But they buckled under pressure and lost their last seven wickets for 66 runs. "It's been toe-to-toe pretty much for 25 days," said England captain Stokes, who missed the Oval game with a shoulder injury. "You know, two teams, two very good teams who have thrown everything at each other, left nothing out there. "From a cricket fan's point of view 2-2 is probably fair. Obviously, we're disappointed now to have not got the result that we wanted to give us a series win." England appeared home and dry on Sunday with Brook (111) and Root (105) at the crease. But their late stumble started when Brook, who had changed the tone of the match with his aggressive batting, chipped a bizarre catch to mid-off as he launched his bat in the opposite direction. England lost further wickets late on Sunday, including that of Root, as the tension rose before bad light and rain curtailed play with the result on a knife edge. Brook dismissal England returned on Monday needing just 35 runs to win the series 3-1 with four wickets in hand but ultimately fell just short. But Stokes defended the 26-year-old Brook, who scored 481 runs in the series, including two centuries. His ton on Sunday came off just 91 balls with 12 fours and two sixes. "Harry got us into that position by playing a particular way, putting the Indian bowlers under immense pressure to take them away from being able to consistently bowl in the areas that they wanted to bowl," said Stokes. "I'm sure everyone was applauding him when he brought up his hundred in the way that he did. Some of the shots he played were unbelievable." The skipper admitted six dropped catches in India's second innings had ultimately proved costly. "But you can go over so many moments in a five-day Test match and all the time you spend out in the field and say, 'If this had been slightly different, we could have been in a slightly different situation'," he said. "No one means to drop catches, obviously. But I think if we look back on that, you could say that those chances that we did put down did cost us. "Back to Headingley (first Test), when we chased down those runs, India dropped quite a few chances off us, and that probably contributed to us winning." Stokes said his team were in a "strong place" ahead of a bid to regain the Ashes in Australia, with that Test series starting in November. "We have got some lads who are members of this team who have got some other responsibilities to fulfil with the Hundred and one-day international series," he said. "I don't have to concentrate on that. We fly out in November, so we have got a lot of time between now and then to build on all the kind of things we have been speaking about before the series started." © 2025 AFP
France 24
3 hours ago
- France 24
India's Siraj 'woke up believing' ahead of Test heroics
England, set 374 to win, lost a nail-biting encounter by just six runs, with Siraj returning innings figures of 5-104 as India ended a rollercoaster campaign level at 2-2. The hosts resumed on Monday's final day on 339-6, needing just 35 more runs for a win that would have given them a 3-1 series success. But they had no answer to the enduring skill of fast bowler Siraj, who featured in all five games. He undid England on Monday with a brilliant burst of 3-9 in 25 balls, ending the match in style when he knocked over Gus Atkinson's off-stump. "From the first day until the fifth game, fifth day, we have fought an unbelievable fight," said Siraj, who bowled a marathon 185.3 overs during the series. "God must have written something good for me, that's why I won this match and took the last wicket. "When I woke up today, I thought I could do it. I downloaded a picture from Google saying 'believe'." The 31-year-old was named player of the match after an overall return of 9-190. Siraj redeemed himself in spectacular fashion after stepping over the boundary rope on Sunday in the act of catching Harry Brook, thereby conceding a six. Brook (111) and Joe Root (105) took the game by the scruff of the neck with a fourth-wicket stand of 195, putting England on course for victory. "I thought the Brook drop was a game-changing moment," said Siraj the leading bowler on either side in the series with 23 wickets at 32.43. "If it had been taken, we might not have come out today." India captain Shubman Gill, alongside Siraj at a post-match press conference, jokingly added: "If he had taken the catch, the game would have been too easy for us." England were in command at 301-3 and on course to break the record run chase in the fourth innings of an Oval Test of 263-9 that has stood since 1902. England collapse But India fought back superbly, taking England's last seven wickets for just 66 runs. "What we did this morning kind of summarised what this team is all about," said Gill. "The way Brook and Root were going, not many teams in the world would have given themselves a chance, but this team believes that whenever we have some kind of an opening, we can get through." Gill's first series as India captain was a personal triumph as he scored a mammoth 754 runs, including four centuries. "Each hundred that I scored had a very different significance," said the 25-year-old. "The one in Leeds was my first match (as captain), I was under a bit of pressure. "Then the double hundred and the hundred in Birmingham (where India won the second Test), to be able to seal that match was also special and the one in Manchester (in the drawn fourth Test), to be able to save that game from there, each of them has a story and each of them means a lot to me."
