NEW DELHI: India skipper Shubman Gill has backed Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar’s decision to delay the handshakes on Day 5 of the drawn fourth Test at Old Trafford, saying both batters deserved their centuries. The Test ended in a draw, but not before a brief flare-up between the Indian and English players over the decision to continue batting after England offered to end the match early.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Speaking at the post-match presentation, Gill said the mood in the dressing room felt like a win: “The kind of position that we were in yesterday in the morning, it definitely feels like a win. Especially losing those two early wickets… the way we showed grit and determination, it was just very pleasing to watch.”
India were 0/2 chasing down a 311-run deficit but finished strong at 425/4, thanks to unbeaten centuries from Jadeja (107*) and Sundar (101*), who added a 203-run partnership.As for the last-hour drama, Gill gave a blunt explanation: “I think both the batsmen batted brilliantly and were in their 90s. And a Test hundred is a Test hundred at the end of the day. Washington’s first, and from the situation we were in, they deserved it.”His comments came after England captain Ben Stokes expressed frustration over India’s refusal to shake hands despite being well past saving the Test. A visibly irritated Stokes even asked sarcastically, “Do you want to score a hundred against Harry Brook?” — after bringing on the part-time bowler in protest.Yet Jadeja maintained composure, calmly replying, “I can’t do anything,” before launching Brook into the stands to bring up his hundred.Gill praised both Jadeja and Sundar’s composure: “It’s all about taking the wicket out of the equation. Day 5 wicket, every ball is an event. We just wanted to go ball by ball and take it deep. They did that perfectly.”The five-match series now heads into a decider at The Oval, with England leading 2-1.
