'Ten more runs ain't gonna change the fact' - Stokes on Jadeja, Washington tons

England captain Ben Stokes believed that the lack of a century beside their names would not have diminished the efforts of Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja in salvaging the Manchester Test. The two left-handers came together just before lunch on the final day.

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Jadeja, reprieved off the very first ball he faced, and Washington, measured and resolute, dug deep to bat through 55.2 overs for a 203-run stand that pulled India to safety and kept the possibility of a 2-2 finish alive.

As the final hour of play began, Stokes offered India a draw. But with Jadeja on 89 and Washington on 80, the visitors declined. They chose to bat on for five more overs. In that time, Jadeja reached his fifth Test hundred; Washington, his first.

What transpired in that was a theatre of the absurd. With the contest drained of suspense, England turned to part-timers. Harry Brook lobbed balls with a near-standstill action and, also added his voice to the England's virtue-singing chorus as India's batters went about trying to complete their 100s after battling hard for the best part of the day.

"The knock that those two played was very, very good," Stokes said at the press conference.