'Just fight ...': Washington reveals Gambhir's stirring final-day message

NEW DELHI: India’s young all-rounder Washington Sundar said his maiden Test hundred “felt special,” especially because it came after a clear, stirring message from head coach Gautam Gambhir on the final morning of the drawn fourth Test against England: “Just fight for the entire day.”Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Sundar, batting at No. 5 for the first time, responded with grit and composure, scoring a resolute 101* in an unbroken 203-run fifth-wicket stand with Ravindra Jadeja (107*). The duo batted through more than 55 overs at Old Trafford to deny England a win and keep the series alive at 2-1 heading into the decider at The Oval.

“This Test hundred feels very special,” Sundar said in a conversation with Cheteshwar Pujara on JioHotstar.

“I just wanted to fight for an entire day and that was the only message given to me by the coach (Gambhir).”

A top-order batter in his junior days, Sundar relished the opportunity to contribute higher up the order: “I was anyway going to bat at No. 5. I was padded up for two sessions. I was very glad I got that opportunity. If I could bat higher up the order in future, it would be a blessing.”On his partnership with Jadeja, Sundar said they focused solely on survival and clarity of purpose: “We just wanted to play to the merit of each delivery.

The wicket was doing a bit. Building partnership was important. The first job was to see off the new ball.”He added, “We wanted to let go off the thoughts of result and just concentrate on each and every delivery.”

India, reeling at 0/2 after conceding a 311-run first-innings lead, finished on 425/4 in their second innings, with centuries from Shubman Gill, Jadeja and Sundar earning a draw.The final Test begins at The Oval on July 31.