MANCHESTER, England (AP) — A roller-coaster of a test cricket series between England and India is, fittingly, going down to the wire.
India salvaged an against-the-odds draw in the fourth test with a show of grit and sheer defiance at Old Trafford on Sunday, and kept alive its chances of tying the five-match series.
England leads the series 2-1 ahead of the fifth test starting Thursday at The Oval.
India was 425-4 in its second innings -- including centuries to Ravindra Jadeja (107 not out), Washington Sundar (101 not out) and skipper Shubman Gill (103) — and 114 runs ahead when an early stumps was called.
“This is no less than a win for us," Gill told the BBC. “Our batsmen put on a great display.”
The fourth test may not have matched the drama at Lord’s, where England won by 22 runs, but it was engrossing throughout five days in Manchester. India swung momentum after being at risk of being swept away.
By Sunday evening, India's collapse in the opening over of its second innings seemed an age away. Two wickets down without a run on the board at that point and 311 runs behind England's imposing first-innings of 669, the series seemed lost for India.
Not on Gill's watch. Not with a batting order of such quality that it has the top four scorers in the series.
Top of the lot is Gill, who hit his fourth century in as many matches to provide the platform for the recovery. He was supported by KL Rahul (90), and allrounders Jadeja and Sundar. Combined, they frustrated an England attack that simply ran out of ideas.
“This is the foundation of this team. These are characters who are sitting in this dressing room and wanting to fight for the country,” India coach Gautam Gambhir said.
Brilliant batting
How quickly things change.
When the wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan went in successive balls from Chris Woakes before lunch on Saturday, India was in crisis at 0-2.
In went captain Gill and his team hardly looked back. His partnership of 188 with Rahul held through the next two sessions and deep into Sunday morning.
The series-leading scorer reached 103 before his near seven-hour stand ended when caught by Jamie Smith off Joffra Archer's bowling.
“An important thing is that he’s living up to his expectation, his own talent, and more importantly is (that) he is the captain. As captain, he's got a burden of pressure," Gambhir said.
Gill has 722 runs for the series, well ahead of second-place Rahul's 511.
The dismissal of that formidable pair before lunch raised England victory hopes again, but there was more pain to follow with the double-century partnership of Jadeja and Sundar guiding India to a draw.
Stokes delivers, but it’s not enough
With India resuming the day on 174-2 and trailing by 137, England needed something special from Ben Stokes.
He didn’t take long to deliver but ultimately it wasn’t enough.
After fitness concerns ruled him out of bowling on Day 4 following his innings of 141, England’s captain was back with the ball and quickly claimed his 17th wicket of the series by trapping Rahul lbw.
It was a reminder of just how badly he was missed from England’s attack as Gill and Rahul batted so defiantly.
It was hardly surprising his absence was felt, given the 34-year-old Stokes is the lead wicket-taker in the series and took five in India’s first innings. His brilliant performance came after he underwent surgery in January following a second hamstring injury in five months and dubbed himself the bionic man.
“I've said it a few times to the guys out there, pain is just an emotion,” Stokes explained of his comeback.
The result might have been different if he had been fit for full involvement in India's second innings, but, frequently holding the back of his leg after each ball on Sunday, his effectiveness was limited.
He expects to be in the thick of the action again in the final test.
“I don’t want to eat my words, but the likelihood that I won’t play is very unlikely,” he said.
More drama
The outcome is too close to call heading to The Oval.
While England cannot be overtaken, the celebrations of India’s players after the drawn fourth test showed how determined they are to avoid a series defeat.
This series has already proved the tightest of contests, with England chasing down 371 at Headingley and then being dominated at Edgbaston, where India won by won by 336 runs.
England only narrowly won at Lord's and had victory seemingly in sight at Old Trafford. But India has provided another twist to a classic series.
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
James Robson, The Associated Press
