Manchester, England—July 28, 2025— Washington Sundar, an Indian all-rounder, feels very happy and proud after scoring his first Test and international century, an amazing unbeaten 101, during India’s hard-fought draw against England in the fourth Test at Old Trafford. The 25-year-old said that hitting three digits in the longest format of the game was “truly unique” and “hard to put into words.”
Sundar’s century was a moment of atonement and victory, especially as he had missed out on getting to 100 runs twice before against England, once in 2021 when he was stuck on 85* and 96*. Sundar was moved up to number five in the batting order, which was his first time playing that position in a Test match. He did this to give Rishabh Pant some steadiness while he was hurt. Sundar showed off his great technique and calmness. He and experienced all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja made a huge 203-run stand, with Jadeja also scoring a century (107*). This tireless pair made the English bowlers angry and fatigued, which was a key part of getting the draw and giving India a big mental edge going into the final Test.
Sundar told JioHotstar how he felt: “It feels very special.” It’s hard to describe how I feel since a Test hundred is so special. Every century is important, but this one is especially so. I went to bat at number five, and all I could think about was how to fight all day. The coach merely sent that one message. I’m just incredibly thrilled we were able to tie this game.
Washington said that the team’s second innings was all about disciplined batting and playing to the merit of each delivery, since the surface helped both seamers and spinners. “Our goal was to stay disciplined and do our best.” It feels great to have lived through the things we did today, especially since we were able to tie the game. “I think the whole team played really well throughout the Test match,” he said. “Now it’s going to be even more exciting going into the next one.”
Sundar has scored 205 runs in six innings in the three Tests he has played in this series so far, with an average of 51.25, thanks in part to his century. With the ball, he has also done a lot, taking seven wickets in five innings at an average of 35.85, with his best numbers being 4/22 at Lord’s.
Sundar’s overall Test career stats show that he is becoming more and more important to the Indian team. He has now scored 673 runs in 12 Tests (21 innings), with an average of 44.86, one century, and four half-centuries. He has taken 32 wickets in 20 innings as an off-spinner, with an average of 27.87. His best figures are 7/59, which includes a five-wicket haul and a ten-wicket match haul.
It’s impressive that Sundar can play well even when things are tough; seven of his 12 Tests have been played away from home. He made several great contributions, such a century stand with Shardul Thakur in Brisbane in 2021, a partnership of more than 100 runs with Nitish Kumar Reddy in Melbourne in 2024, a four-wicket haul at Lord’s that helped India set a competitive target, and now his important century at Old Trafford. Many people think he has a good chance of being Ravichandran Ashwin’s long-term successor because he can do a lot of things and always does well. Sundar is only 25 years old, but with further training and hard effort, he might become one of the best all-around cricketers in the world.
Summary of the Match:
England chose to field first in the fourth Test in Manchester. India scored 358 runs, with Yashasvi Jaiswal (58), Sai Sudharsan (61), and the hurt Rishabh Pant (54) all getting half-centuries. Ben Stokes was the best bowler for England, taking 5 wickets for 72 runs. Jofra Archer helped him out with 3 wickets for 73 runs.
England then scored a huge 669 runs in their first innings, thanks to a 166-run opening partnership between Zak Crawley (84) and Ben Duckett (94). Joe Root (150) and Ben Stokes (141) both scored centuries, which gave England a 311-run lead. Ravindra Jadeja was India’s finest bowler, taking 4 wickets for 143 runs. Jasprit Bumrah, on the other hand, had a bad day, taking only 2 wickets for 112 runs.
Chris Woakes made India’s second innings start off badly at 0/2, which made the task seem much harder. But a strong 188-run partnership between KL Rahul (90) and captain Shubman Gill (103) got India back into the game. After they were out, Ravindra Jadeja (107* not out) and Washington Sundar (101* not out) showed amazing strength by batting through periods to annoy England and get India a draw. They ended their innings at 425/4, with a 114-run lead.
The series is now 1-2 in favor of England, which sets up an exciting final Test at The Oval on July 31.