English toys out the pram as India salvage a heroic draw.

After 4 days of dominance, India refused to be moved (quite literally) from the middle to bat out a heroic draw. The criticism of India this series is that they have controlled many of the days and sessions, but have lost key moments, meaning domination has not equalled results. The test should’ve been spoken about as a great English performance, followed by gritty Indian defiance. Instead, it was overshadowed by a farcical final 20 minutes where tired, angry, and frustrated English players lashed out at the two Indian batters vying for their hundreds. It was another moment in series when tensions have flared, but this time it all seemed a little unnecessary. See the key talking points from the match below. 

Captain Fantastic – Stokes’ marvellous all round game, that comes with a warning.

Stokes was magnificent in Manchester, it was the performance we’ve been waiting for from him with the bat since the last Ashes series. Stokes looked in control with the bat, moving to a beautifully constructed hundred and batting on to 141 with the tail. In a series where Stokes has been comfortably England’s best bowler, he has struggled with the bat, amassing a series of starts, particularly at Lords, yet failing to convert to even a 50. This all changed in Manchester where Stokes looked in complete control from the very beginning of his innings. Albeit, the Old Trafford groundskeepers had build up an absolute road (more on this later) but Stokes still needed to drive down it, and drive he did.

Aside from his performance with the bat, it was arguably his bowling that was more impressive. Stokes took a quite simply outstanding 5 for 72 in India’s first innings on a pitch that offered nothing to the bowlers. However, Stokes’ importance to this sides bowling attack became all to apparent when he could not bowl at the start of India’s second innings on day 4. After a brilliant start from Woakes, Shubman Gill and KL Rahul managed to settle the nerves and it looked all to comfortable for a team that was really on the ropes for arguably the first time in series. Stokes’ body, which has held up remarkably well this series, seemed to desert him in India’s second innings and truthfully, England never looked like being able to take 10 wickets. Stokes, an all rounder, shouldn’t be England’s main hope in the bowling attack, yet when he doesn’t bowl, the fragilities of England’s other options are exposed. Sure, this was a poor test match wicket, hugely favouring the bat from the ball, but with the long series starting to take it’s toll on Stokes’ body England selectors and fans will worry about the ability of the bowling attack to take 20 wickets without him. With a quick turnaround to the series decider at The Oval, England will have everything crossed that Stokes is fit and firing. 

And all the roads that lead you there are…Flat. 

Much has been spoken this summer of the made to order wickets that Stokes and McCullum have clearly been speaking to grounds staff about. They’ve asked for fast bouncy pitches that will offer England the chance to score at 4s and 5s an over, as we are now accustomed to. However, this summer more than ever you have to take pity on the bowlers. Some of the decks that have been offered up are so batter friendly it’s almost no wonder to see the record breaking run scoring we have seen this series. Despite this, the previous 3 decks at Leeds, Birmingham and Lord’s have all yielded results and great test matches. The same can not be said for Manchester. 

This summer 4 first class games have been held at Old Trafford and now one test, with all 5 games ending in a draw. It must be said that we have had an exceptionally dry summer, but the pitches simply have not been good enough. Much is made about how difficult test cricket is to win away from home, and this is down largely too conditions being unique to each different location. However, the wickets that have been delivered here have been largely subcontinental in style and have needed very good bowling performances to give the batsman something to think about. Interestingly, the two wickets that have offered the least for bowlers were in Birmingham and Manchester, both in games that started on a Wednesday. Stuart Broad has oftentimes remarked that pitches for Wednesday starts offer less to the bowlers to ensure the gates continue to Sunday. In what was only the second draw of the Bazball era (the other vs Australia at a rain struck Old Trafford in 2023), frustrations at the scenario appeared to boil over…

“You’re really going to score a hundred off Harry Brook?”

England put in a test performance to be admired for 4 days, yet on the final day, one would not be remiss to think they let themselves down. India, having been 0-2 at what stage in the innings looked dead and buried, one foot on the plane, on the canvas, all of the above? Yet defiance initially came in the form of the ever reliable KL Rahul and Shubman Gill. Once England finally dismissed India’s two best batters (with Pant on one leg) a positive result once more looked in sight. In came Jedaja and Washington Sundar. Jadeja was dropped first ball by Joe Root in a potentially match changing moment, but from then on the two batted diligently and reislliently. At 20 past 5, with no result possible and both batsmen in the 80s. Stokes offered his hand, to call it a draw and get his weary bowlers and tired minds off the field. The Indian batsmen, a mere 20 runs from personal milestones politely declined, and that should have been the end of it. 

Instead what followed was a barrage of abuse with Stokes asking ‘do you really want to score a hundred off Harry Brook?’ Archer saying ‘If you want a hundred you should’ve batted for one earlier’ and Crawley warning ‘we’ll just bowler bouncers at you’. There are two ways one can interpret this, the first, and arguably correct, is that if England were so desperate to see the back of Jedaja and Sundar, they should have got them out. This is international sport at the highest level, why on earth would India adhere to the English wishes to get off the field and give them the easy way out. Whilst this was only a draw, it would have felt like a body blow to England and I think India would have been letting England off the hook to shake there hands just cause England had seen enough and wanted to put their feet up. Additionally, Jedaja and Sundar had batted superbly and especially for Sundar, who was closing in on a maiden test hundred, deserved to end their innings of their own accord. Stokes’ position to remove England from the field is entirely understandable, it’s also understandable to not bowl any of the front line bowlers, but to mock and downplay the Indian batsman, who they failed to remove all day, for reaching their hundred seemed in poor taste. 

The second, more positive reading, is further showing the development of the teams mentality. Stokes and McCullum have talked all year about how this is no longer just entertainment, this is about winning. A lot is already being made in the social media space of England’s reaction to the final day, and it coincidentally seems to be taking the headlines away from India’s heroics. Whilst I’m not implying this was a tactic to take away from India, this team do seem to find ways to spin results that hurt. And lets be clear, this result hurt England, they feel they should have won. Although the behaviour was poor, it’s somewhat pleasing to see a team of English cricketers being sore losers. One would feel that a siege mentality that this dressing room is cooking will fare us well, not just for The Oval on Thursday, but for that small series down under we’re not yet allowed to mention. 

All in all the series is bubbling away nicely, whilst England are good value for their lead, India will similarly feel they’ve earned the right to take this to the bitter end. Thanks to some great batting, a Manchester road and some misplaced aggression, this series is set for a blockbuster finish in London. With all that said, and optimism high for a thrilling conclusion, my parting advice is this, do not check how many draws there have been at The Oval this year ;).