The Prague Post - Sundar and Jadeja follow Gill's lead as defiant India draw fourth Test with England

Record-breaking skipper Shubman Gill scored his fourth century of the campaign before Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar also made hundreds.

England remain 2-1 up in this five-match contest ahead of a quick turnaround to Thursday's start of an Oval finale, where an India victory in south London would ensure a share of the spoils for Gill's men.

A draw looked anything but likely when India collapsed to 0-2 in the opening over of their second innings on Saturday as Chris Woakes struck with successive deliveries after England had piled up a mammoth 669 in their first innings.

But Gill, in on a hat-trick, went on to score 103 in a marathon innings of some seven hours as he turned the tide during a stand of 188 with KL Rahul that ended before lunch on Sunday's last day.

Jadeja, reprieved first ball when Joe Root dropped a tough slip chance, went on to make 107 not out, his first century of the series following four fifties, with fellow spin-bowling all-rounder Sundar unbeaten on 101 -- his maiden Test hundred.

India have now scored 11 individual hundreds this series, the most by any visiting side in England, and such was their eventual dominance Sunday they had no need to worry about whether to send Rishabh Pant out to bat following the severe foot injury he suffered in the first innings.

Sundar and Jadeja's unbroken partnership of 203 on a largely docile pitch frustrated a toiling and increasingly fractious England, despite the best efforts of inspirational captain Ben Stokes.

- Personal triumph for Stokes -

This match was a personal triumph for Stokes as he became just the fourth England cricketer to score a hundred and take five wickets in the same Test, his 141 on Saturday following a haul of 5-72 in India's first-innings 358.

But it appeared to come at some cost with Stokes, who suffered from cramp while batting, not bowling at all on Saturday and repeatedly clutching the top of his leg.

And his efforts to defy history by winning the toss and bowling proved unsuccessful.

No team winning the toss and bowling first has ever won a Test at Old Trafford and this match was only the second draw of Stokes' reign following a rain-affected Ashes clash at the Manchester ground two years ago.

India resumed on 174-2 with KL Rahul 87 not out and Gill 78 not out

Stokes, already the leading bowler on either side this series with 16 wickets at 24.75, brought himself on at the start of Sunday's play and almost had Gill caught for 81 by a leaping Ollie Pope at short cover.

But Stokes did have obdurate opener Rahul, in sight of his third century of the series, plumb lbw for 90 to a nip-back ball that kept a touch low.

Stokes bowled an unchanged spell of 1-12 in eight overs until Woakes took the ball -- although that did not stop Gill completing a 228-ball century.

Gill was out in surprisingly careless fashion when caught behind flicking at a Jofra Archer ball outside off stump to end a marathon innings of some seven hours, with India now 222-4.

The 25-year-old Gill, in his first campaign as captain, has now scored 722 runs this series -- a record for an India batsman in a series against England, surpassing team-mate Yashasvi Jaiswal's 712 in 2023/34

Sundar and Jadeja, after his first ball reprieve, were largely untroubled.

And even when Stokes put himself through the pain barrier again, Sundar pulled the England skipper for a six and a four off successive balls to complete a 117-ball fifty.

Sunday's closing stages simply became a question of whether either Sundar or Jadeja would reach a hundred after Gill declined to take a draw immediately at the start of the last hour.

The match ended in slightly farcical circumstances when batsman Harry Brook came on to bowl.

Jadeja smashed a woeful Brook delivery for six to complete a 182-ball century before Gill's two off the Yorkshireman took him to a 206-ball hundred.

B.Barton--TPP