‘Ben Stokes is preserving himself for Day 5, likely to see one burst from him when needed': Ravi Shastri
'You mentioned Stokes – I think he's preserving himself for tomorrow. There'll be one burst from him tomorrow when needed and when he thinks, you know, now's the time to really bowl those five or six overs, he'll come and bowl it,' said Shastri to Sky Sports.
'It's a new ball track. When it's hard and new, things happen quickly, especially with these overhead conditions. When it's overcast, you get your best chance for movement. With a new ball, there's opportunity, but once the sun comes out and the ball's 10-15 overs old, it becomes a very good batting track. If England wants to make an impact, they need to strike in that first hour, then wait for the second new ball,' he added.
India is looking to save the fourth Test as the visitors, trailing by over 300 runs after the first innings, were two down for no score. From there, skipper Shubman Gill and opener KL Rahul stayed in the middle for two entire sessions, giving India a glimmer of hope to save the Test by scoring an unbeaten stand of 174 for the third wicket.
With a fine century on Saturday, Stokes became only the fourth England cricketer to have scored a century and taken a five-wicket haul in the same Test match. Stokes, who had claimed five wickets for 72 runs during India's first innings in the match, matched the feat achieved by Tony Greig, Ian Botham and Gus Atkinson for England previously.
On Stokes not bowling in the second innings, former England captain Nasser Hussain said: 'The fact that he hasn't bowled at all tells us something. We all know Ben Stokes. If it were just cramp or stiffness, he'd test it out. But seeing him check that hamstring area – that's not a new injury. He's clearly had problems there before. Honestly, you could argue he shouldn't even be on the field given his importance to the team.'
'England's problem is that Stokes has to play every game as captain. While others like Archer get rotated or Bumrah plays three, Stokes has to play in all five Test. And in those five, he has to bat. He has to bowl. He's doing it so well that he's going to be absolutely exhausted,' he added.
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Indian Express
14 minutes ago
- Indian Express
India draw after last-day fightback, coach Gambhir says ‘these players will make their own history'
The day was ending, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar were in their 80s and there was no doubt about the result of the Test. India had miraculously managed to snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat on the final day of the fourth Test. The knackered England captain Ben Stokes had enough, he wanted to shake hands and nurse his wounds in the dressing room. But the day's heroes — Jadeja and Washington — were in no hurry to leave. They wanted to rub a few English noses in the mud and get well-deserved Test hundreds. They also wanted the crowd, and their teammates, to celebrate the draw that was as precious as a win. They finally shook hands with the scoreboard showing India 425 for four, Jadeja (107 not out) and Washington (101 not out). The world had written them off, now Jadeja and Sundar had done a monumental rewrite, they had penned history. Only twice have India batted out more overs in the third innings to save a Test after conceding a first innings lead of 300-plus. Trailing by 311 runs at lunch on Day 4, India were staring at an innings defeat. But against all odds, Shubman Gill's young team batted for 143 overs and lost just four wickets. This was a comeback for ages. The series that seemed dead — the loss for India here would have seen England take a 3-1 lead — has been magically kept alive. With momentum on their side, India can now dream of winning the final Test at Oval and level the series 2-2. Nothing can be put beyond a team where a batsman with a fractured foot — Rishabh Pant — raises his hand to take the field and do his bit. Indian coach Gautam Gambhir, after the match, spoke about the importance of the draw for the rest of the series. 'It will give us an edge. When you are put under pressure and you come out of those pressure moments, it is always a great feeling. It just ends up giving a lot of confidence to the dressing room,' he said. Unlike many teams of the past, with bigger stars, this Indian team just refuses to give up. India was zero for two at the start of the innings but this was followed by 188-run partnership between K L Rahul (90) and Shubman (103). Today again at lunch, a crisis loomed. The two big hopes Shubman and Rahul, after their marathon partnership, were back in the hut. India was 223 for four. There was another mountain to climb in front of them. With Pant to bat on one foot, they had to bat two full sessions. That's when two rather low-key cricketers — all-rounders who aren't in news too often — picked up the baton; it was more like taking up the gauntlet. But Jadeja and Sundar didn't allow the pressure of the scoreboard or their constantly bullying rivals get to them. Stokes tried every trick he knew. He would test them with a disciplined line, he would surround them with fielders with the spinner on a pitch with patches and even try to intimidate with short-balls. Nothing worked on this Sunday. There is a certain nonchalance about the way Jadeja and Washington conduct themselves on the pitch. They look relaxed, they keep smiling and are almost aloof to the surroundings and the situation. They don't even confront the opposition. They actually chat them up. They don't rile their opponent, they don't trigger fights. Jadeja and Washington, with their solid play, dilute the opposition's aggression. Jadeja, despite his numbers, isn't quite counted among the game's greats but today he joined the list of legends. Washington's place in the playing XI has been repeatedly questioned but today he shut the mouths of his doubters for good. As Jadeja added a hundred to his four 50s on this tour he was on par with the greatest all-rounder Gary Sobers for runs scored in England. Washington, the spinner, had done his bit at Lord's with four wickets in an innings. At Old Trafford, he showed what he can do with the bat. He justified the team management's trust in him. His numbers with both bat and ball showed, he can do the job of two specialists. This could well go down in the history of the Indian team as a very important draw. Had India lost this Test, and also the next, the course of Indian cricket might have changed dramatically. There were reputations at stake. After Shubman's outburst against Zak Crawley at Lord's when he was wasting time, the English media was floating the narrative the young skipper had been impacted by the episode and lost touch. When India was on field and their bowlers were leaking runs, the pundits said the Indian captain was too passive. It was certainly his worst day as a captain but he showed the resilience to bounce back. He made amends, he led India's recovery. The team's senior-most batsman Rahul also often gets blamed for not scoring in important situations. At Old Trafford, he changed that impression. Coach Gambhir would have lost his third straight series, and there would have been calls of his outster. But after Old Trafford, that might not be. This team is showing a new culture and character. But what might have pleased the team management most must have been India regrouping after the fall of Rahul and Shubman. Most of India's famous wins or draws have been about individual brilliance but this team takes cricket as a team sport. The last time India saved a game after conceding a big lead was in New Zealand at Napier where Gambhir had scored a match-saving 137 off 437 balls while batting for nearly 11 hours. He was asked if he had spoken about Napier in the dressing room. Gambhir almost didn't allow the question to be completed. He said: 'I don't remember any of my knocks, it's history. These players will make their own history. Honestly, no one needs to follow anyone or even wants to. They will make their own history. The way we have been written off in this Test match, this is the foundation of this team.' Before the tour had started, this was said to be a team in transition but a win of this nature makes it feel that the transition is over.
The Hindu
16 minutes ago
- The Hindu
WATCH: Jadeja, Washington refuse Ben Stokes' draw offer in final-session drama at Old Trafford
Tempers flared between India and England once more in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy as Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar refused England's offer to draw the Test match in the final session of the fourth Test in Manchester on Sunday. With the possibility of a win over, England captain Ben Stokes went up to Jadeja to end the contest. The Indian batters, though, wanted the match to carry on for longer. Jadeja was batting on 90 while Washington, on 84, was on the cusp of a maiden Test century. "If you want a hundred, you should have batted like it earlier" "You're going to get a Test hundred against Harry Brook & Ben Duckett" #ENGvIND | # — Sportstar (@sportstarweb) July 27, 2025 According to rule 12.7.6 in the ICC Test playing conditions, 'On the final day, if both captains (the batters at the wicket may act for their captain) accept that there is no prospect of either side achieving a victory, they may agree to finish the match after (a) the time for the commencement of the last hour has been reached OR (b) there are a minimum of 15 overs to be bowled, whichever is the later.' Upon the Indians' insistence to carry on the contest, Stokes was heard at the stump mic saying, 'Jaddu, do you want to get a Test 100 against Brook & Duckett?' Other England players Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett and Harry Brook also exchanged words with the batters. Brook offered full tosses to Jadeja in his next over, which Jadeja hit for a six and four through the on side to complete his century. Washington, too, reached his century off Brook, hitting him inside out over covers.
India.com
16 minutes ago
- India.com
4th Test: Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar Hit Centuries As India Defy England To Secure Great Draw
Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar hit epic unbeaten centuries and propel a superb India to defy England and secure a draw in the fourth Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test at Old Trafford on Sunday. 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.
