Steely determination of Indian batting lineup runs England ragged at Old Trafford, keeps Test series alive

The great escape is complete, the series still live. From a first innings deficit of 311 India have done what was once unthinkable, batting for more than five sessions for a draw that right now feels a lot more like a win.

This England side ‘don’t do draws’ – indeed this is the first of the Bazball era that hasn’t involved two solid days of rain – but they were forced to at Old Trafford, slowly ground into stalemate by the relentless determination of India’s rearguard.

At lunch on Day Four India were so far behind the game that to say they were dead and buried almost felt like understatement. They had conceded 669 – the most runs any side has scored in an innings at Old Trafford – and then for good measure lost two wickets inside the first over of their reply.

That though was counting against the steely determination of this India batting lineup that, even shorn of Rishabh Pant, defied the odds to pull off a draw that by the end had them running England ragged.

Floodgates remain shut despite Gill and Rahul’s early dismissals

While the groundwork was laid on Day Four – KL Rahul and Shubman Gill’s monumental 174-run partnership moved the needle for the tourists from ‘certain defeat’ to ‘in with a chance of a draw’ – India still arrived on the final day with England strong favourites to seal a series-clinching win.

For all that Rahul and Gill had resisted the England onslaught there was a sense that should both men be removed then the floodgates might open for a home side boosted by the assistance of a final day pitch.

Rahul and Gill did both fall before lunch, an outcome England would gladly have accepted before the start of play, the proverbial floodgates however remained firmly closed.

A lot has been made of India’s team selection throughout this series, they have opted in every Test to try and have it both ways, bolstering both batting and bowling departments with the deployment of all rounders, instead of perhaps committing more wholeheartedly to the strengthening of one – selecting the wicket taking talents of Kuldeep Yadav for example.

Here though, at the fourth time of asking, that strategy came good, the batting depth provided by the selection of Washington Sundar – even more so in the absence of Pant – a crucial cog in India’s dramatic escape.

At lunch on the final day India were 223/4, still over 100 runs behind and with only five batsmen left – or six if you included the one-legged Pant, whose participation was far from guaranteed – a large proportion of which comprised India’s somewhat vertiginous tail.

Jadeja and Sundar resist everything England throw at them

Sundar and Jadeja were however unbowed, able to resist everything England threw at them, as well as any final day unpleasantness from the pitch, to secure a result that had seemed beyond them for most of this Test.

England may look back and rue one moment in particular – Jadeja dropped first ball by Joe Root at first slip – agonisingly unable to cling on at first, second or even third attempt, as the left hander flashed at a delivery from Jofra Archer.

But that chance aside England struggled to really threaten. Even with the assistance of the pitch Liam Dawson looked largely innocuous – only 11 men have bowled as many overs as him in the fourth innings of a game and conceded more runs – and Ben Stokes aside England’s pacemen struggled to create any meaningful jeopardy for the visitors.

Ultimately England were so cowed they attempted to shake hands on a draw at the earliest moment possible, but India with Sundar and Jadeja both looking to notch a Test match hundred batted on – the hosts reduced to bowling Harry Brook as the game drew to a close.

Both men would make hundreds, a first in Tests for Washington Sundar, their unbroken partnership of 203 had rescued a draw for India and rendered next week’s clash at The Oval all to play for.