The final day of the fourth Test between India and England in Manchester saw its share of controversies as England captain Ben Stokes showed frustration over Indian batsmen Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar refusing a handshake and draw offer with one hour remaining. While Jadeja and Sundar stitched an unbroken 202-run fifth-wicket partnership to end England’s hopes of victory, Stokes targeted them verbally, asking Jadeja: “You want to get a Test hundred against Harry Brook?”
With Stokes opting to bowl part-timers Harry Brook and Joe Root in the mandatory last hour, former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin sarcastically suggested Stokes should have gone further.
“I am actually disappointed. He (Ben Stokes) should have asked his bowlers to bowl underarm like Greg Chappell. It would have looked nice. Please don’t talk about the spirit of cricket, sportsmanship. This is ridiculous,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat.
“What is the rule? If both captains believe the game cannot head towards a result, they can agree to a draw. One captain wanted to close it out. Why? First, he didn’t want to tire his bowlers. Second, ‘I am frustrated. You should also not be happy.’ The second point isn’t in the rules. According to the first point, India was right. If I were captain, I would have played all 15 overs.”
While Stokes cited protecting his frontline bowlers from fatigue and injury, the incident drew reactions from across the cricketing world, including Indian coach Gautam Gambhir, who defended India’s right to bat.
At the start of the final hour, Jadeja was on 89 and Sundar on 80. Both went on to complete centuries—Sundar’s maiden Test hundred and Jadeja’s fifth. Ashwin called Stokes’ behavior “double standards.”
“Double standards. They defined it in the last ten minutes today. You’re frustrated you can’t win, so you fight with your players, punch the ball, do whatever. But by offering a handshake, you’re saying, ‘I’m frustrated, so you also don’t get a hundred. You also go crying.’ How is this fair? He’s battled since morning against Archer, Hoggard, Gough, Flintoff. Should he leave his century? Your question was, ‘Do you want a century against Harry Brook?’ No, he wants a century. Bring Steve Harmison, bring Flintoff! They wouldn’t say no. You’re bowling Harry Brook—that’s your mistake, not ours.”
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Stokes exchanged words with Jadeja, while England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett also sledged the Indian pair. Crawley was heard telling Sundar: “F***ing hell Washi, get on with it,” with Jofra Archer adding: “If you wanted a hundred, you should have batted like it earlier.” Sundar reached his maiden Test ton before the teams agreed to a draw after five overs.
Ashwin mocked Crawley’s comments, declaring the result an “Indian win”: “Zak Crawley told him, ‘If you wanted 100, you should have batted quicker.’ That’s his choice. You want quick runs and get out at 70? That’s your game. Zak Crawley or Ben Stokes, if you were batting, would you leave your hundred for the ‘spirit of the game’? I feel like laughing. It’s crazy. That’s why I say this isn’t a draw, it’s an Indian win.”
