India’s fighting spirit was on full display in the fourth Test at Old Trafford, where Washington Sundar’s maiden Test century and a gritty lower-order stand helped secure a hard-fought draw against England. JioHotstar experts Sanjay Manjrekar and Jonathan Trott discussed the ‘handshake controversy’, England’s frustration with the result, and Sundar’s growing impact as a genuine all-rounder.
Speaking on ‘Match Centre Live’, JioHotstar expert Sanjay Manjrekar reflected on India’s gritty performance in the fourth Test:
“I think that was the perfect summation of what happened — a draw that feels like a win. And yet again, this young Indian batting line-up continues to surprise. You expected KL Rahul and Shubman Gill to be the partnership to watch out for, but that stand was broken early in the day. However, India keeps producing warriors every Test match — this time, it was Washington Sundar who stood tall. Fantastic batting once again. In the end, what we saw was frustration from a team that is used to dominating at home. It’s rare to see England settle for a draw twice in the Bazball era. Remember, this is the first time Ben Stokes abandoned his principle of batting first after winning the toss — and it happened against India. This draw, without any weather intervention, came against India. That says a lot. India has forced Stokes to rethink his approach and leadership style. What we saw towards the end was a captain frustrated, unaccustomed to such results, and having to fight so hard to secure a favorable outcome. He thought the win was sealed, and finally, I must say, he behaved like a bit of a spoiled kid. After 48 hours of watching Jadeja and Washington bat for hours, both nearing centuries, there was no way India would have accepted his declaration offer. Ben Stokes will regret that moment — and that frustration only tells you how much this new-age Indian batting line-up has unsettled England throughout the series.”
JioHotstar expert Jonathan Trott shared his perspective on the handshake controversy:
“I am not sure if it was necessary, but the common practice — certainly here in England — is that if you’re offered the opportunity to finish the game early, it’s usually more about the game situation than personal milestones. From Ben Stokes’ perspective, no personal milestone comes ahead of the team’s goal. In this case, India’s goal was to secure a draw, and they achieved that. So for England, the expectation was that India would shake hands and walk off with 80 not out — that would normally suffice. But I can also understand the other side. For someone like Washington Sundar, who has batted so well, giving up the chance to score a debut hundred is not easy. You never know when another opportunity will come. So, I understand both viewpoints. England are probably a little frustrated but that’s natural. What this does, though, is set things up nicely for the next Test. It’s going to be spicy, and I’m looking forward to it.”
On England’s struggles with the ball and Washington Sundar’s impact, Trott added:
“England tried everything, didn’t they? They can’t say they didn’t give their best. But for me, the concern lies in the quality — and as an England fan and former player, with the Ashes coming up and this series on the line, it’s worrying. England bowled 142 overs and managed just two wickets on a Day 4 and 5 pitch where the ball was keeping low. Both wickets came in the first over. That’s slightly concerning because they had two bites at the new ball when India were under pressure, yet couldn’t capitalize. Looking at India, though, we’ve discovered another strong left-handed batter and a quality all-rounder in Washington Sundar — just 25-26 (years old). He can excel in both disciplines and looks like the heir apparent to Ravindra Jadeja whenever he decides to hang up his boots. Sundar has batted magnificently, and he seems capable of playing for a long time. This makes India’s selection tricky going forward, but it certainly makes the team a lot stronger.”
Indian all-rounder Washington Sundar also shared his emotions after scoring his maiden Test century on JioHotstar:
“It feels very special. Honestly, it’s difficult to put this feeling into words because a Test hundred is something truly unique. Every century matters, but this one means a lot. I got the opportunity to bat at No. 5, and my only focus was to fight for an entire day. That was the only message from the coach as well. I’m just really glad we managed to draw this match. We just wanted to play to the merit of the ball, especially with the wicket offering something to both seamers and spinners. Our focus was to stay disciplined and give everything we could. To experience the moments we did today, especially after managing to draw the game, feels amazing. I think the whole team played really well throughout the Test match, and now it’s going to be even more exciting heading into the next one.”
JioHotstar expert Sanjay Manjrekar analyzed Washington Sundar’s impact and its implications for India’s team balance ahead of the final Test:
“You’ve got to look at him as a proper all-rounder now. You can increasingly see Ravindra Jadeja becoming more of a batting all-rounder because his bowling hasn’t contributed as much in this series. Washington Sundar, on the other hand, has picked up wickets as well — he’s an off-spinner who can easily be selected as a specialist spinner. This changes India’s thinking. They won’t be considering an extra batter anymore; instead, they might start looking at Kuldeep Yadav for the next Test. That’s the impact this partnership has had. Even without Rishabh Pant, India might stick with these two all-rounders to strengthen the batting. Sundar probably stays at No. 5 now. If Dhruv Jurel plays in the next match, he may have to slot in a position lower.”
