Why Jadeja-Sundar Did Not Shake Stokes' Hand: Shubman Gill Explains The Silent Rejection
Shubman Gill singled out Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, who remained unbeaten till the end, as key figures in the match.
Shubman Gill wasn't in the mood to settle early. After India pulled off a dramatic draw in the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, the Indian captain made it clear that it wasn't just a salvaged match but, a statement.
Trailing by 311 runs and reduced to 0 for 2 in the second innings, India looked buried. But what followed was a marathon display of discipline and defiance. The team batted through five sessions on the final two days, ending at 425 for 4 and dragging the match away from England's grip.
'It was tough. We were under pressure for a few days, but the way the team responded… I'm proud," Gill said at stumps. The pitch was still doing things on Day 5. But we wanted to bat as long as we could. That's what we discussed, and that's what we did, he added.
Gill singled out Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, who remained unbeaten till the end, as key figures in the fightback. Both were in the 90s when England captain Ben Stokes made an unusual move – offering a draw mid-session. The duo turned it down.
Asked why, Gill smiled. 'They were close to making their century…" he said, adding that the team felt it was important the duo get there that's why they didn't shake hands.
The response from Jadeja and Sundar, calmly ignoring Stokes' hand and continuing to bat, became symbolic of India's refusal to fold.
This match wasn't a one-off rescue act either. All four Tests in this series have gone to the last session on the final day, and Gill believes the team has grown from it. There's been so much to learn in this series. Every match has pushed us, tested us, he said.
For Gill personally, it's been a milestone series. His second-innings hundred at Manchester was his fourth of the tour and took his tally past 700 runs, putting him in elite company and drawing comparisons with Don Bradman's overseas consistency.
India had posted 358 in the first innings before being flattened by England's massive 669. But the story of the Test wasn't that collapse; it was the comeback.
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