India's massive effort to bat over five sessions for the loss of just two wickets in Manchester helped them secure a draw after conceding a 311-run lead with the series on the line.
KL Rahul and Shubman Gill combined for 70 overs, followed by another huge 55.2 over stand between the southpaws, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar.
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However, the final half an hour of the Test stirred drama with some exchanges between players, leading to heavy criticism for England.
MORE: India vs. England 4th Test at Old Trafford in Manchester: Highlights and key moments
What happened during IND vs ENG 4th Test match?
As the match entered the mandatory final-hour phase, with 15 overs to be bowled, Jadeja and Sundar remained unfazed and up for the challenge.
But with India leading by 75 runs and six wickets still in hand, England captain Ben Stokes and his team opted not to pursue the remaining wickets and instead approached India for a draw.
Interestingly, after Sundar (80*) and Jadeja (89*) dug deep with innings of 188 and 173 balls respectively, both found themselves within touching distance of personal milestones. Sundar was eyeing his maiden Test century, while Jadeja sought his first ton of the series, having already notched up four fifties.
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India declined the early handshake offer, which frustrated Stokes and his teammates, leading to verbal exchanges between the fielders and batters.
England later ridiculed the Indian pair for scoring runs off Harry Brook’s part-time bowling and accused them of going against the spirit of the game.
After Jadeja and Sundar reached their three-figure marks, India opted to end the match in a stalemate.
How did the Australian media react to England's antics at Old Trafford?
While both batters ended the match with triple-digit figures, England's reaction did not sit well with the Australian media ahead of the Ashes down under.
CodeSport criticized England as "moral hypocrites" for their constant talk about the spirit of the game, pointing out the irony in targeting Indian batters who stayed on to complete hard-fought centuries. They described England’s approach as an identity crisis in the lead-up to the Ashes.
The Daily Telegraph Australia accused England of spoiling a classic Test match in Manchester, calling their evening display "hateable" and "unsportsmanlike".
Fox Cricket wrote about England’s actions in the final session, calling them "pompous" and accusing them of exposing their double standards, especially given their frequent references to the spirit of the game.
READ MORE: 'Stokes behaved like a spoiled kid': Manjrekar slams ENG captain
The Sydney Morning Herald noted that England appeared jovial when in control but resorted to "whining" when challenged, adding that their sulky, childish attitude won’t serve them well in Australia later this year.
What are the fans saying on social?
Fans around the world didn't enjoy how England handled things. Zainub Razvi felt the team was obnoxious and pointed out several incidents within the game.
This England team is obnoxious. Crawley threw the ball on the bounce repeatedly to get it to roughen up, Stokes whined because Sundar had the right to get a 100, but they will lecture others about spirit whenever they can. Not letting any of the PR fool me.
— Zainub Razvi (@zainubrazvi) July 27, 2025
Another fan (@filmkirbys) called the English team a bunch of sorest losers who whine on the field every day.
all this talk about bazball and revolutionising cricket and yet the england test cricket team are still a bunch of the sorest losers i have ever seen who cannot go one day without whining and crying if things don’t go their way…
— ridz (@filmkirbys) July 27, 2025
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Understandable that Ben Stokes and his England team are a bit cranky about having to stay out there a bit longer but even more understandable & justified that Ravindra Jadeja & Washington Sundar bat on for their respective centuries. Nothing about “spirit” here #EngvInd
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) July 27, 2025
Journalist Bharat Sundaresan (@beasiteboy07) remarked that there was nothing about 'spirit' in how Stokes and England were cranky about the Indians trying to reach their hundreds.