WTC Points Table Updated: India Hold England In 4th Test Thriller To Stay In Top Four
The match ended with India at 425/4 in 143 overs—an effort built on remarkable centuries from Gill (103), Ravindra Jadeja (107*), and Washington Sundar (101*). With the series scoreline still reading 2-1 in England's favor, the finale at The Oval now promises to be a blockbuster.
Gill Leads the Charge with Fourth Century of the Series
Shubman Gill's sublime form continued as he notched up his fourth century of the series—matching the second-most centuries by an Indian in a single Test series. His composed knock of 103 off 238 deliveries held the innings together after the early dismissals of openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan for ducks.
Gill's 174-run partnership with KL Rahul laid the platform for India's resistance. Rahul fell short of a century but his gritty 90 off 230 balls was vital in blunting England's attack on a worn-out pitch. The innings showcased Gill's growing stature as a dependable anchor under pressure.
Jadeja and Sundar's Match-Saving Marathon
Promoted to No. 5 for the first time in his Test career, Washington Sundar responded with maturity well beyond his years. Alongside Jadeja, he formed an unbroken 203-run partnership that spanned over two sessions on the final day.
Jadeja, batting with typical calm and resilience, remained unbeaten on 107, while Sundar compiled his maiden Test century—an unbeaten 101 off 206 balls. The duo's defensive masterclass ensured India walked away with a draw that felt like a win, especially considering their dismal start in the second innings.
Ben Stokes Enters Elite Company Despite Fitness Worries
England captain Ben Stokes put in a sensational all-round performance, scoring 141 in the first innings and taking a five-wicket haul (5/72) in India's first innings. With this feat, Stokes became only the fourth Englishman to score a century and take five wickets in the same Test.
More significantly, Stokes joined Garry Sobers and Jacques Kallis as just the third player in history to score over 7,000 runs and claim 200 Test wickets. However, his fitness remains a concern after he was seen nursing a hamstring issue while bowling on Day 5—a potential blow ahead of the Oval Test.
Joe Root Surpasses Ponting to Become Second-Highest Run-Scorer
Former England captain Joe Root also etched his name into the history books during the Manchester Test. His elegant 150 helped England reach a commanding 669 in the first innings and pushed his career tally past Ricky Ponting to make him the second-highest run-scorer in Test cricket, behind only Sachin Tendulkar. Root now has 38 Test hundreds—proof of his unmatched consistency and class.
WTC Standings Unchanged, But Stakes Rise for The Oval
Despite the thrilling draw, neither India nor England saw a change in their World Test Championship standings. England stay third due to their two wins and a draw, though a slow over-rate penalty continues to affect their points total. India, meanwhile, remain fourth with one win in the series and a lot to play for.
With Australia and Sri Lanka sitting comfortably atop the standings, the Oval Test could prove pivotal in keeping India's WTC 2025-27 campaign alive. A win would level the series and boost India's Points Percentage (PCT), giving them a much-needed lifeline in the championship race.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
a minute ago
- India.com
10 Players With Most International Centuries At Age Of 25: Sachin Tendulkar On Top, Virat Kohli Follows, Shubman Gill Equals Chris Gayle At...
photoDetails english 2938204 Over the years, several prodigies have impressed the cricketing world with their breathtaking performances early in their international careers. After Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, another Indian batter Shubman Gill is also scoring centuries after centuries at an young age and playing a key role in team's win. Updated:Jul 28, 2025, 06:45 PM IST 1. Sachin Tendulkar - 40 Centuries 1 / 10 Sachin Tendulkar, who went on to become arguably the best batter in the world, had smashed 40 centuries at the age of 25, showcasing his prodigious talent. His ability to produce match-winning performances across formats and conditions made him a global icon by his mid-20s. 2. Virat Kohli - 26 Centuries 2 / 10 Star India batter Virat Kohli, who is known for his consistency and chase-mastery, had scored 26 international at the age of 25, establishing himself as a modern great. Virat went on to become one of the biggest match-winners in world cricket. 3. Kane Williamson - 21 Centuries 3 / 10 Star New Zealand batter Kane Williamson, who is known for his elegant batting style and ability to perform under pressure, had scored 21 international centuries at the age of 25. Williamson went on to become one of the biggest match-winners for New Zealand. 4. Joe Root - 19 Centuries 4 / 10 Joe Root, who is known for his classical batting technique, had scored 19 international centuries at the age of 25. Root has now become one of England's greatest batters. 5. Shubman Gill - 18 Centuries 5 / 10 As of now, India Test captain Shubman Gill, at age 25 (born September 8, 1999), has scored 18 international centuries. Given his red-hot form and batting potential, Shubman is set to climb higher on the all-time century list. 6. Chris Gayle - 18 Centuries 6 / 10 Chris Gayle, who is known for his explosive batting, had scored 18 international centuries at the age of 25. Gayle went on to become one of the biggest match-winners for West Indies across formats. 7. Graeme Smith - 17 Centuries 7 / 10 Graeme Smith, who was known for his leadership and ability to play monumental innings, especially in Test cricket, had scored 17 international centuries at the age of 25. He has been a key figure for South Africa. 8. Babar Azam - 16 Centuries 8 / 10 Pakistan batter Babar Azam had around 16 centuries at the age of 25. He has become one of the key batters for Pakistan across formats over the years. 9. Alastair Cook - 16 Centuries 9 / 10 Alastair Cook, who is regarded as one of England's greatest Test batters, had recorded 16 centuries at the age of 25. 10. Quinton de Kock - 16 Centuries 10 / 10 South Africa's Quinton de Kock, who is widely regarded as one of the most talented wicketkeeper-batters of this generation, had recorded 16 centuries at the age of 25.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
a minute ago
- First Post
'This result has been a long time coming for Divya': Viswanathan Anand applauds Divya Deshmukh's historic win for India
In an exclusive chat with Firstpost, 5-time world champion of chess, Viswanathan Anand, expressed his thoughts on India's Divya Deshmukh scripting history by winning the FIDE Women's World Cup. read more Teenage chess sensation in the tie-breaker of the all-India finale to clinch the FIDE Women's World Cup in Batumi, Georgia. With the victory, Deshmukh has etched her name in history as the first World Cup winner from India. At 19, she is the youngest to achieve the feat. Additionally, Divya has become eligible to be bestowed with the coveted title of Grandmaster. The sound of her victory is making reverberations in the chess community. This sentiment was echoed when 5-time chess world champion and the greatest ambassador of Indian chess, Viswanathan Anand, joined Rupha Ramani on Firstsports and shared his thoughts on Divya's achievement. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD #FirstSports LIVE: @DivyaDeshmukh05 has etched her name in Indian chess history by becoming the first Indian woman to win the world title. Join @RuphaRamani as she brings you the post-win celebrations. — Firstpost (@firstpost) July 28, 2025 Viswanathan Anand acknowledges Divya Deshmukh's achievement Talking about the clash between Humpy and Divya in the final and the eventual victory of Deshmukh, Vishy expressed that he was looking forward to witnessing which generation would triumph. He praised the composure shown by Divya to play error-free chess, but also held veteran Humpy in high regard. 'It's fantastic. And in fact, there was no suspense going into today because we knew an Indian was going to be the World Cup winner. But for me, the real suspense was which generation is going to do it? Hampy has really been carrying the torch for a long time. And then we have Divya, who's so young, first chance to win the World Cup. And the nice thing for both of them is they were playing exclusively for this. They both already qualified for the candidates. And Divya once again showed that calm composure under pressure,' Anand said. Anand also mentioned that success was long overdue for Divya following India's Olympiad victory, but a form dip prolonged her march to glory. Nevertheless, she eventually got there. 'You could In fact, you could see it more in Humpy part at some point, and that's just the nerves of the title and the stakes that are up for grabs. But Divya managed to play relatively error-free, kept control, and showed a lot of maturity, and I think that bodes very well for her. Also, I think this result has been a long time coming for Divya. She's generally been seen as a very talented player with a lot of potential. But somehow after Olympiad, the follow-up didn't really happen, but now it's happened in full here, and this is all of it in one goal,' he added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Time of India
7 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Proud of young Divya Deshmukh': PM Modi congratulates 19-year-old on becoming first Indian to win Chess World Cup title
Divya Deshmukh and PM Modi (Agency Photos) Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated young Indian chess player Divya Deshmukh for winning the FIDE Women's World Cup final against Koneru Humpy in Batumi, Georgia, on Monday. Divya, aged 19, made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win the Chess World Cup after defeating Koneru in the final through tiebreaks. She earned the distinction of becoming India's fourth woman grandmaster and the country's 88th overall. "A historic final featuring two outstanding Indian chess players! Proud of the young Divya Deshmukh on becoming FIDE Women's World Chess Champion 2025. Congratulations to her for this remarkable feat, which will inspire several youngsters. Koneru Humpy has also displayed immense prowess throughout the championship. Best wishes to both players for their future endeavours. @DivyaDeshmukh05 @humpy_koneru," PM Modi wrote on X (formerly Twitter). — narendramodi (@narendramodi) "My heartiest congratulations to Divya Deshmukh, who has become the first Indian woman to win the FIDE Women's World Cup, that too, at a very young age of nineteen," President Droupadi Murmu wrote on X. The crucial match saw Koneru make several inaccurate moves in the second rapid game. She found herself at a disadvantage with one pawn down in the rook endgame, ultimately benefiting Divya. Poll How inspiring do you find Divya Deshmukh's victory in the FIDE Women's World Cup? Very inspiring Somewhat inspiring Not inspiring Neutral Koneru conceded the match on the 75th move, resulting in a final score of 2.5-1.5. Despite missing two opportunities presented by Koneru's imprecise moves, Divya seized the decisive moment. The turning point came when Koneru captured the f pawn on move 69, shifting the advantage to Divya. Divya capitalised on this opportunity, executing the correct moves and forcing Koneru's resignation after six moves. The emotional significance of the victory overwhelmed Divya, bringing tears to her eyes. The moment became even more touching when she shared an embrace with her mother. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
