An Incredible Drawn Test In Manchester

Updated At: 2025/07/29

Moral victories? A drawn Test? Root the record breaker? Jadeja the king middle-order batter?

Take your pick, there are plenty of takeaways from the fourth Test at Old Trafford, but the one thing which really counts is the result - a drawn game and the series is still alive ahead of the fifth and final Test at The Oval.

That Test begins on Thursday with England leading 2-1 and nothing other than an India win will see the home side complete a series victory.

The Old Trafford Test

After the thrilling finale to the Lord's Test ten days earlier, hopes were high of another thrilling contest in Manchester and both England and India combined to produce a fascinating game of cricket.

This was the venue where Australia and England played out a brilliant draw during the unfortgettable 2005 Ashes series and many continue to make the links between that and this Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy contest this year.

Star Performers

Ben Stokes

It was England skipper Ben Stokes who took the Player of the Match Award following figures of 5/72 in the first innings of the game and 141 with the bat in the second innings. When it came to the third, his body was showing plenty of signs of 'wear and tear' but he soldiered on and took the critical wicket of KL Rahul as part of his 1/33 figures from 11 overs.

Shubman Gill

From one captain to another and the India skipper hit his fourth century of the series with 103 as part of India's second innings rearguard effort. He has now scored over 200 more runs than anyone else in the series - a fine effort on his first tour as captain.

Joe Root

A return of 109 runs from his first four innings of this series, albeit including 53 not out to win the Headingley Test, are not the kind of figures associated with the former England captain but he has quickly extinguished any lingering worries. Scores of 104 and 40 at Lord's gave way to 150 at Old Trafford, with the latter putting him in second place on the all-time list of Test run-scorers.

Ravindra Jadeja

The 36 year old has finished not out in all four of India's second innings in this series, scoring two half-centuries and a ton along the way. His score of 107 not out in Manchester, following his four-wicket haul in England's innings means that he has hit four half-centuries and a ton across his last six innings in the series!

Onto The Oval

The South London venue has been the scene of many notable final Tests of the summer and looks set to deliver something similar once again.

A victory for India and the series will be drawn but anything else and England will get their hands on the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, setting them up nicely for their Ashes assignment down-under in the winter.

England to win the Test at The Oval - 2.00

India to win the Test at The Oval - 3.40