Manchester, July 27 (UNI) A monumental unbeaten monumental partnership between Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja turned what looked like a tense final day into a statement of Indian grit, as their centuries steered India to a match-saving draw in the fifth and final Test against England at Old Trafford today.
The pair walked in under pressure but walked off unbroken, Jadeja unbeaten on 110 and Washington on 102*, having batted through more than five sessions together and stitching a 201-run stand for the fifth wicket. Their alliance, soaked in resilience and laced with class, not only shut England out but left the hosts weary and without answers.
Washington, making a return to the side, showcased impeccable temperament and shot selection. His maiden Test hundred came in fitting fashion, clipping Harry Brook through midwicket and running a slightly awkward second after initially celebrating early. He had moved into the 90s with a string of dazzling cover drives and a brutal pull off Root, displaying his full range after grinding it out for over 200 balls.
Jadeja, batting with trademark flair, brought up his fifth Test century with a towering six off Brook, eschewing his usual sword celebration in favour of a calm raise of the bat and helmet. His knock, peppered with crisp drives, calculated aggression, and tactical footwork, capped a series of high individual efforts and finally came in a match that didn’t slip away.
Their effort rescued India from a precarious 222 for 4, where things briefly looked uncertain after the morning’s attrition.
KL Rahul had fallen early in the day to a Stokes delivery that stayed low, trapped lbw for 87. His 230-ball innings had helped absorb pressure after the early loss of Yashasvi Jaiswal on Day 4. Captain Shubman Gill, meanwhile, brought up his fourth hundred of the series with a punch past point, but his 103-run knock ended shortly after, edging Jofra Archer behind. In the same over, Jadeja offered a sharp chance that Root at slip spilled—an error that England would regret deeply.
The tide shifted from there.
India crossed the 300-mark by tea at 322/4 and kept piling on, frustrating England’s bowlers on an increasingly placid surface. The pitch flattened, and so did England’s resolve, despite short bursts from Archer, spin from Dawson and Root, and attempts from Stokes to rally his men.
By the 143rd over, with both Jadeja and Washington having reached three figures and England visibly drained, India decided they had made their point. Stokes walked up and offered the draw, and the players shook hands—with the tourists sealing the five-match series 3-1.
The Test may have ended in a handshake, but the message from India’s lower middle order was thunderous. Not just an escape, this was domination on their own terms.
Brief Scores: India 2nd innings: 425/4 in 143 overs (Shubman Gill 103, KL Rahul 87, Ravindra Jadeja 107*, Washington Sundar 101*; Jofra Archer 1/78, Chris Woakes 2/67, Ben Stokes 1/33); Match Result: Draw; Series Result: Draw
