India holds nerve for exhilarating draw in India vs England 4th Test at Old Trafford
With a lot of determination, discipline, grit and mental toughness, India carried off a sensational draw in India vs England 4th Test at Old Trafford.
Regardless of the early dominance of England, India led a dramatic draw due to the second innings of batting by captain Subhman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. Presently, England is leading the series 2-1, but the final or fifth test at the Oval will be the decider.
India stammered in the first innings
A versatile start
India has struggled a lot to put decent runs on the scoreboard by building significant partnerships. Despite a well-rounded start from the top order, the final run was restricted to a total of 358.
The English team waited patiently to restrict the team to a low run, but the contribution from both the opening and middle batsmen brought a decent run chase for England.
Gigantic first innings by England in India vs England 4th Test at Old Trafford
Root and Stokes blaze the trail
England selected to bowl first after winning the toss so that they can use a bowling-friendly pitch at Old Trafford.
Joe Root led the England team from the forefront with a stunning 150 that shows why he is the champion player in world test cricket. Afterwards, the England captain Ben Stokes contributed with a solid 65 runs. On top of that, he played the part of a quick wicket-taker that helped to earn the player of the match title. This duo has been accompanied by significant contributions from Zack Crawley, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope with 84, 94 and 71 runs that push India to approach a heavy scoreboard.
Heroic second innings led by India
Captain knock
India stepped onto the pitch with a transformed mindset. Their second innings has lasted to 143 overs, which helped the team India to finish at 425 with four wickets down.
Indian skipper Subhman Gill put in mammoth efforts and scored 103, which marks the 4th century in the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy series. The partnership between Subhman Gill and KL Rahul has overpowered the English bowlers throughout the entire session.
Sundar and Jadeja clamped the draw
The unbeaten partnership between Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar through 107 and 101 runs respectively has not only prevented the defeat but also sealed a legendary record in India vs England 4th Test at Old Trafford. Through an unvanquished run of 107 by Ravindra Jadeja has equaled Sir Garfield Sobers' record in 1996 of a total of five 50 + scores in only one series as a lower-order batsman across England.
The frustration of England in India vs England 4th Test at Old Trafford
Sarcastic body language and remarks
Many English players have been visibly annoyed with their sarcastic comments regarding the lower-order resistance of India. The stump mics have captured an unwanted body language and sarcastic remarks where the commentators and critics have called out the out-of-character and unprofessional behaviour by England.
The performance of Ben Stokes with both ball and bat was bewildering. The ability as an all-rounder is fantastic. Bowling those longer spells in the last test match and the five-wicket haul, even though he was struggling with a hamstring and knees, would be counted as an incredible performance.
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Key moments of India vs England 4th test in India vs England 4th Test at Old Trafford
KL Rahul's consistency
The consistency and rigorous efforts for runs of KL Rahul have made a terrific contribution of 46 runs in the first innings and 90 runs in the second innings. Playing the spell out and phase out while batting in the crease was really special.
Courageous efforts by Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant has been excellent in this series so far. His contribution with the bat in the India vs England 4th test has been exceptional; he scored the precious 54 runs in the first innings. He showed a great passion for the team, even though he got injured, where he still came up to bat and was also willing to come out in the second innings.
Partnerships that saved the day for India
KL Rahul and Subhman Gill have batted well. India were two down in the first over, where 310 runs behind. How about the partnership between these two eminent players has shown that the character, the determination and the hunger. Though KL Rahul missed 100 in the last innings but the 90 he scored was special. These 90 runs, along with Gill's 100 runs, saved and drew the test match.
Updates on injury
The lead pacer of India, Jaspreet Bumrah, was struggling with a back injury, and the team did not confirm his availability. The wicketkeeper batsman Risabh Pant is excluded from the team because of a fractured foot that might force an essential amendment in the lineup.
Final thoughts
India vs England 4th test at Old Trafford will commemorate a battle of momentum shift. Initial dominance by England and astonishing fight back of India, along with the captaincy of Subhman Gill, all-round brilliance of Jadeja and under-pressure performance by Washington Sundar have demonstrated the depth of the Indian team. All eyes of cricket fans will now be on the Oval for the outcome.
Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available information and independent analysis. It is intended for informational purposes only and does not represent the views or endorsements of any sports organisation, media outlet or individual.