IND vs ENG Highlights, 4th Test Match Day 5: Ton-up Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar lead India to gritty draw against England

Ben Stokes is out warming up with the England players at the moment and bowling a couple of balls. He looks fine for now. England have looked toothless without Stokes during the ongoing Rahul-Gill partnership on Day 4.

Legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar says Shubman Gill may not have had the final say in selecting the playing XI.

"At the end of the day, it is the captain's team," Gavaskar said on Sony Sports.

"You can't say that he didn't want somebody like, in Shardul Thakur's case or Kuldeep Yadav’s case, that he didn't want them, maybe Shubman didn't want Shardul in the team and wanted Kuldeep," he added.

Gavaskar felt strongly that Kuldeep should have been part of the playing XI.

"He should have had him in the team. He is the captain. People are going to talk about him and his captaincy out there. So, it's got to be his call really."

With every passing day on this tour, Kuldeep Yadav’s enthusiasm in the team’s nets sessions has visibly dipped. Before the third Test at Lord’s, he would even turn up at optional sessions and let it rip against the Indian batters.

Coming to Manchester, though, Kuldeep has been taking it easy. He has been the most talkedabout absence in India’s playing XI in this series. And as things started unravelling for India at Old Trafford, his non-selection raised eyebrows.

“Kuldeep is world class and he’s bowling really well at the moment. We’re trying our best to find ways for him to get in. But, unfortunately (we haven’t been able to), with just the balance with the batting,” Morkel said.

TOI understands there was discussion around Kuldeep’s selection before the fourth Test. A part of the management contemplated playing him in the XI, but eventually a safetyfirst approach prevailed as Kuldeep’s batting went against him.

Kuldeep has been deemed an inferior batter to Shardul Thakur, but Gill’s reluctance to throw the ball to Thakur is a giveaway that the Indian captain has very little faith in Thakur the bowler.

The two lower-order collapses in Leeds at the start of the series unsettled the team management and staying in the game longer by batting long became a priority.

“There’s always the option of going in with quicks and picking your six best batters. We do have all those discussions. But, the guys who have played in the last two Test matches have done a good job in terms of spin bowling,” Morkel said, declaring it was Gill’s decision to bring Washington Sundar so late into the attack in England’s first innings.

There were two Shubman Gills on show on Saturday. The one on the field on the fourth morning looked like he had switched off, having nearly surrendered his captaincy duties as England captain Ben Stokes raced to 141 to take his team to 669. The other Gill in the next two sessions looked absolutely keyed in with the bat to lead India’s fightback.

As Stokes eased to his first Test century in two years, followed by Brydon Carse hammering 47 off 54 balls, KL Rahul looked more in charge with setting the field and talking to the bowlers.

Gill mostly positioned himself a fair distance away from the action. When the English innings eventually ended with a 311-run lead, it seemed like India were firmly pinned to the mat 15 minutes before lunch. The fourth Test and the series was fast slipping away.

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan, exhausted physically and mentally, couldn’t handle two probing deliveries in the first over of the innings bowled by Chris Woakes. This is when Gill took charge along with the most senior batter of his team, Rahul. An hour before stumps, the duo had taken India from 0/2 to 174/2, with Gill batting on 78 off 167 balls and Rahul batting on 87 off 210. They had played out 62 overs.

With rain predicted on the final day, they raised hopes of India saving a Test match which has been largely dominated by England. The straight bat of Gill and Rahul was a reassurance for the dressing room.

Gill has been in ominous form in the first two Tests of the series. This innings will add another dimension to his growing reputation as a Test batter.

As India head into the final day of the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, all eyes are not just on the batters but also on the skies. With India still trailing by 137 runs and eight wickets in hand, the weather forecast could play a decisive role in determining whether they walk away with a draw or face a crushing defeat.

According to the UK Met Office, Day 5 in Manchester is expected to start with cloudy conditions transitioning into light rain by late morning. The temperature will hover between a chilly 14°C to 18°C.

The forecast predicts an 80% chance of rain in the morning session, dropping slightly to 70% in the afternoon. Encouragingly for England but worryingly for India, the likelihood of rain further reduces to 50% by tea and 30% by stumps, raising the chances of enough overs being bowled to force a result.

For India, who resumed their second innings at 174/2 with KL Rahul (87*) and captain Shubman Gill (78*) still unbeaten, rain could be both a saviour and a spoiler. Prolonged showers might wipe out entire sessions and aid India’s bid for a draw.

However, intermittent rain breaks — the more likely scenario — could break the batters' rhythm and create stop-start conditions that assist England's pace attack with a relatively fresh second new ball due in 17 overs.

On Day 4, Gill and Rahul stitched together a gritty 174-run partnership after India were reduced to 0/2 in the first over, countering a 311-run first-innings deficit. Their effort gave India a glimmer of hope in a match that seemed lost.

Still trailing in the five-match series 1-2, India will need either divine help from the clouds or another monumental batting effort to avoid a defeat that would hand England the series.

India captain Shubman Gill led a gritty fightback on Day 4 of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, frustrating England’s push for a series-clinching win after Ben Stokes had earlier lit up the day with a long-awaited century.

Gill walked in under immense pressure with India reeling at 0/2 in the first over of their second innings. Chris Woakes had struck twice in successive balls, removing Yashasvi Jaiswal and B Sai Sudharsan—both caught in the slips for ducks.

Facing a daunting deficit of over 300 runs after England’s commanding 669 in the first innings, which included a superb 141 from Stokes, India looked in deep trouble. But Gill and KL Rahul defied the odds, steering India to 174/2 by stumps without any further damage. Rahul remained unbeaten on 87, while Gill stood firm on 78, having added 174 runs in an unbroken stand for the third wicket.

India still trail by 137 runs, but the duo’s composed resistance has given the visitors a glimmer of hope in their bid to salvage a draw, despite England holding a 2-1 lead in the five-Test series.

For Gill, the innings marked a timely return to form. After starting the series with three hundreds in four innings, he had scored just 34 runs across his previous three knocks. His calm under pressure in Manchester came just when India needed it most.

Stokes, who earlier took 5/72 in India’s first innings total of 358, chose not to bowl on Saturday—a worrying sign given his recent hamstring issues. His brilliant hundred saw him become only the fourth England player to take five wickets and score a century in the same Test, joining an elite list that includes Tony Greig, Ian Botham (five times), and Gus Atkinson.

Gill had a nervy start. He survived a hat-trick ball from Woakes upon arrival and then benefited from a couple of close calls. The second ball after lunch saw a dramatic lbw appeal from Jofra Archer turned down. England reviewed, but replays were inconclusive, and the not-out verdict stood. Archer was again left frustrated when another lbw shout against Gill on 2 was denied.

But the 25-year-old soon settled in, unleashing a pair of crisp boundaries off Woakes—a stylish cut and a straight drive. He survived another scare on 46 when a thick edge off Brydon Carse was dropped at point by Liam Dawson.

Gill reached his half-century off 77 balls with a delicate shot off part-timer Joe Root, while Rahul followed suit in 141 deliveries, combining solid defence with timely aggression. He capitalised on any width from Archer, cutting and pulling with authority.

As the Test heads into a potentially rain-affected final day, India’s hopes rest on their unbeaten duo—and the Manchester skies.

England are anxiously waiting to see if star all-rounder Ben Stokes will be fit to bowl on the final day of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, after KL Rahul and Shubman Gill’s defiant partnership left the hosts short of answers without their strike bowler.

Stokes, the leading wicket-taker in the series, did not bowl a single over in India’s second innings across 63 overs on Day 4. India finished the day at 174/2, thanks to an unbroken 174-run stand between Rahul and Gill for the third wicket. The England camp later revealed that Stokes was feeling "stiff and sore", and a final decision on his availability will be made following an overnight medical assessment.

India, who had slumped early in their innings, staged a remarkable recovery as Rahul and Gill batted through two full sessions without losing a wicket. England’s attack, particularly once the ball softened, appeared toothless without Stokes’ ability to break partnerships or create pressure out of nowhere.

Their only real opportunity came when Gill mistimed a shot off Brydon Carse, but Liam Dawson put down the chance at backward point — a drop that encapsulated England's frustrating day.

Having returned from hamstring surgery earlier this year, Stokes underwent an intense rehabilitation programme to be ready for this marquee series against India. His commitment has shown — he's already bowled 129 overs in the series, the most he's ever delivered in a single Test series.

Stokes retired hurt due to cramps on Day 3 but returned to the field and later scored a brilliant 141 on Day 4, his first Test century in over two years.

"He's a bit stiff and sore," said England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick, speaking to ESPNcricinfo.
"He's had a big workload over the past few weeks. Batting for that long in the first innings took a toll — he was cramping up. We're hopeful that with a night's rest and more physio work, he’ll be good to go tomorrow."

Stokes was seen clutching his hamstring while fielding, raising concerns. However, Trescothick downplayed the incident.
"It's just a build-up. From where he’s come from to where he is now, it's a massive workload. We're trying to manage that. Yesterday’s cramps raised a bit of concern, but we'll see how he pulls up in the morning," he added.

Interestingly, England had already decided not to use Stokes with the ball on Day 4, acknowledging the risk of overworking him. His physical strain has been evident — after bowling 19.2 overs on the final day at Lord’s to secure a win, Stokes admitted he had to spend four days in bed recovering. At Old Trafford, he has already bowled 24 overs across two days, claiming 5/72 — but it appears to have taken a significant toll.

"If he were off the field, he wouldn't be eligible to bowl tomorrow," Trescothick clarified.

Stokes hasn’t played white-ball cricket in nearly two years and has opted out of The Hundred. He’s unlikely to return to competitive action until the Ashes begin in November.

With the Test — and possibly the series — hanging in the balance, England will be hoping their inspirational captain has one final spell left in him.

India’s second innings began in shambles as Chris Woakes removed Yashasvi Jaiswal and B Sai Sudharsan in the opening over. Gill walked in with India on the brink and survived the hat-trick delivery, setting the tone for a gritty rescue act with Rahul.

The duo remained solid under pressure, batting with discipline and patience. Rahul played with control, especially on the back foot, while Gill brought flair with his timing and placement. They negotiated two full sessions without losing a wicket.

Gill had a reprieve on 46 but made the most of it, bringing up his half-century before tea and surpassing Virat Kohli’s 655-run mark from the 2016 England series. He’s now within striking distance of Sunil Gavaskar’s Indian record of 732 runs in a series.

Post-tea, Rahul reached his fifty with a late cut off Jofra Archer. Gill continued in the same vein, executing crisp drives and cuts. The pair rotated the strike efficiently against spin and punished anything loose, ensuring England’s bowlers couldn’t build pressure.

As the match heads into a rain-threatened Day 5, India’s slim hopes of survival now hinge on Gill, Rahul—and some help from the Manchester weather.

Hello and welcome to the Live coverage of Day 5 of the fourth Test match between India and England at Old Trafford in Manchester.

Shubman Gill and KL Rahul showcased tremendous grit on Day 4 of the fourth Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test at Old Trafford, stitching together an unbeaten 174-run stand off 361 deliveries.

Their resilient partnership, featuring well-earned half-centuries, guided India to 174/2 in 63 overs by stumps, though the team still trails England by 137 runs.

While India’s chances of salvaging a draw remain slim, Gill (78*) and Rahul (87*) have provided a glimmer of hope—especially with rain forecast for the final day. Their composed and determined stand brought India back into the contest after a disastrous start.

Earlier, England tightened their grip on the match with a mammoth first-innings total of 669. Captain Ben Stokes led the way with a superb 141 from 198 balls—his first Test hundred in over two years—following up his five-wicket haul.

Stokes and Brydon Carse, who chipped in with a lively 41, added crucial lower-order runs. Ravindra Jadeja returned figures of 4/143, while Washington Sundar picked up two wickets. Jasprit Bumrah, for the first time in his Test career, conceded over 100 runs in a single innings as India’s bowling attack struggled for breakthroughs.