India aggregated their first 3,000-run series in Tests in England and the fourth highest (so far) on the fifth day of the ongoing Manchester clash. India were required a herculean effort to bat the fifth day out of the fourth Test at Old Trafford after KL Rahul and Shubman Gill, India's best batters in the series, played out the last two sessions on the penultimate day, marvellously, to keep hopes of a draw alive. The final day saw the extension of that partnership between Gill and Rahul, with Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar taking it forward in the second session.
During the second session, as India reached the score of 236 in their third innings, the visitors brought up 3,000 runs for the series. This is the first time India have aggregated 3,000 runs in a Test series in England, bettering their previous best of 2,666 runs in the 2021-22 series.
The series currently stands in third place for India in terms of most runs scored in a Test series, with the West Indies series in 1978/79 at the top (3,270). With one game still left, the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy has the potential to go to the top for India in terms of series aggregates.
It was a gritty and dogged effort from Gill and Rahul to face 417 balls in their partnership that got India out of trouble after they found themselves with just eight batters, having to chop off a trail of 311 runs. Gill completed his fourth century of the series while Rahul was unlucky to be dismissed on 90.
However, losing a couple of wickets in the morning session didn't cause a collapse as Jadeja and Sundar were solid as ever, forging a century partnership, while helping India get into a lead. India will aim to bat through the day to force a draw and hope to level the series in the decider at the Oval.
