As England captain Ben Stokes walked up to Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar with a handshake offer to seal a draw, the Indian duo stood their ground — quite literally. Still short of personal milestones in the fading light of Old Trafford, they refused the gesture.
The result? A few tense words, a towering six from Jadeja, a maiden Test century for Sundar, and a fiercely drawn fourth Test that not only kept India alive in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy but handed them a decisive psychological edge.
Defying the Handshake, Chasing the Century
It was the 139th over of India’s monumental second-innings resistance. Stokes, his bowlers worn thin after 140 overs in the dirt, walked up to the crease and offered a truce. But Sundar (then 80*) and Jadeja (on 89*) had other plans.
The pair stood unmoved, with Shubman Gill watching from the balcony. One over later, Jadeja launched a lofted six straight down the ground to complete his fifth Test century, triggering a premature handshake attempt from Harry Brook — once again, met with a shrug from Sundar.
Finally, after two more overs of silence, Sundar brought up his long-awaited maiden Test century — a redemptive moment after near-misses in 2021 — and only then did the handshakes come.
“Difficult to Put Into Words”: Sundar
“It feels very special,” said Sundar after the match. “Honestly, it’s difficult to put this feeling into words because a Test hundred is something truly unique. Every century matters, but this one holds special significance.”
The 203-run unbeaten partnership between Jadeja and Sundar wasn't just about milestones — it was India’s final act of defiance after being buried under England’s first-innings lead. Sundar had been promoted to No. 5 in place of the injured Rishabh Pant, a move that paid off spectacularly.
“All I focused on was fighting through the day,” Sundar told JioHotstar. “That was the only message from the coach. Just stay there, ball after ball.”
Redemption in Manchester
India’s draw at Manchester wasn’t always on the cards. Reeling at 0-2 after a double strike from Chris Woakes before lunch on Day 3, the visitors stared down the barrel of a series defeat. But a resilient third-wicket stand between KL Rahul and captain Shubman Gill turned the tide. Gill brought up a century, Rahul stood tall with him, and by the time Jadeja and Sundar joined forces, the fightback was in full swing.
England’s Fatigue, India’s Edge
England’s bowlers were spent. Jofra Archer’s late burst did earn him the wicket of Gill (103), but a mix of missed chances — including two drops off Gill and one off Jadeja — and unwavering Indian resolve saw the game escape them.
Stokes later admitted the struggle: “It’s been a tough four games for our bowling unit. You’ve really had to work really, really hard for your rewards.”
And while Dawson’s 47-over effort yielded control without wickets, England’s pace battery looked in desperate need of reinforcements ahead of the Oval Test.
After the match, Washington Sundar shared a lighthearted exchange during the post-match show with Stuart Broad, Nasser Hussain and Ian Ward, who cheekily quizzed him about not being given a chance to bowl in the first innings.
Ian Ward opened with a playful jab, asking, “Did your captain forget that you can bowl in the first innings?” Sundar, smiling, replied, “I’m not giving any headlines this time,” prompting laughter all around.
Stuart Broad joined in the banter, mimicking warm-up actions and saying, “You need to work on your tips and hints out there. ‘I’m loose, I’m ready to go!’” The broadcaster chimed in with, “You’ve got to catch his eye. You got to start looking at him [Shubman Gill].” Sundar laughed and responded,
“Most of the times, I am around the square, so I’m sure I cross him every now and then. But yeah, whatever the team needs.”
