India’s hopes of salvaging the fourth Test received a significant boost on Sunday as captain Shubman Gill led from the front with a gritty century before Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja added vital unbeaten fifties to deny England a series-clinching win on the final day at Old Trafford.

By tea, India had reached 322 for 4 in their second innings, holding a slender 11-run lead after England’s imposing first-innings total of 669. The visitors, who were reeling at 0 for 2 early on Day 4, staged a spirited fightback through Gill and KL Rahul, before the lower middle-order pair of Sundar and Jadeja further dug in to frustrate the hosts with a resilient 100-run stand.

Gill, who resumed the day on 78 alongside Rahul (87* overnight), brought up his century off 228 deliveries, that included 12 boundaries. His calm presence at the crease helped steady India after a horror start to the innings, where Chris Woakes removed both openers off successive deliveries without a run on the board.