Ravindra Jadeja continued his consistent form in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test series when he slammed his 5th century in the longest format in the last day of the 5th match at Manchester on Sunday as he and Washington Sundar helped India get a draw vs England at Manchester.
The allrounder slammed 12 fours and 1 six in 182 balls to get to his milestone with Sundar also scoring his maiden century. This was another gritty innings for the Saurashtra man who almost pulled off a miracle in the Lord’s Test a couple of weeks ago but India ultimately fell 22 runs short.
Meanwhile, Sundar got to his maiden ton in 206 deliveries with the help of 9 fours and 1 six. The result meant that India stayed alive in the series and have an opportunity to tie the series when the two teams lock horns again at the Oval for the 5th and final Test next week.
Earlier, both Jadeja and Washington batted with a strong purpose to save the game, frustrating a worn out England attack. At tea, India were 322 for four after collecting 99 runs from a wicketless afternoon session.
Ben Stokes, who looked lethal in his eight over spell in the morning, could not keep up the intensity in the three overs he bowled in the second session. In a 15-run over from Stokes, Washington pulled the England captain for a six and four to bring up his fifty before Jadeja employed the cut to complete his fifth half-century in six innings.
With not much batting to come and Rishabh Pant injured, it remains to be seen if India can pull off a draw from here. What made England’s life difficult is that left-arm spinner Liam Dawson (0/70 in 39 overs) was not able to challenge the Indian left-handers enough while Jofra Archer too get could not get a breakthrough post lunch.
In the morning session, Shubman Gill completed a gutsy hundred after Stokes battled through pain to dismiss a well set K L Rahul, leaving India at 223 for four at lunch. Resuming the day at 174 for two with a deficit of 137, India remained on course to draw the game courtesy a fighting effort from Gill, who brought up his fourth century of the series. The Indian captain fell at the stroke of lunch with the visitors still trailing England by 88 runs.
(With agency inputs)
