Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar deserved a hundred: Gautam Gambhir

India managed to pull off a heist on Day 5 of the Manchester Test as Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar dug their base deep to fetch a draw. All was not smooth as the final session of the day neared. Ben Stokes wanted to shake hands and call it a day prematurely but Sundar and Jadeja who were on the cusp of their centuries, refused to agree to call it a day. 

The duo ventured further and attained their centuries before the prescribed time was over and the match was declared as a draw. As all the players indulged in the customary hand shakes, Stokes refused to shake hand with Jadeja and the duo exchanged some intense words on the field. Shedding light on the issue, India Head Coach, Gautam Gambhir said that “both of those guys deserved a hundred”. 

“If someone is batting on 90, and the other is batting on 85, don't they deserve a hundred? Would they have walked off? If someone from England would've been batting on 90 or 85, and had the opportunity to score their first Test hundred, wouldn't you allow them to do it? See, it's up to them. If they want to play that way, it's up to them. I think both of those guys deserved a hundred, and they got it,” said Gambhir as quoted by HT. 

India eye a big win in the final Test 

With the fourth Test ending up in a draw, the series is poised at 2-1 in the favour of England. India would like to draw the series with a win in the fifth Test and avoid a series loss as the team’s struggles in red-ball cricket is persistent since the infamous series loss at home against New Zealand. The final Test will be played at the Kennington Oval from July 31.