Last Updated on 9 months ago by Charbel Coorey
India rallied to save the Manchester Test but not without incident. With an hour to play, Ben Stokes offered a handshake to call a draw. However, India, with Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar both not out in the 80s, chose to play on in the quest to reach their respective hundreds.
However, Stokes and England were not happy with India deciding to bat on. The England captain and his fielders had plenty to say, with one fielder stating “if you wanted a 100, you should have batted like it earlier.” Stokes then approached Jadeja to ask “Jaddu, you want to get a Test 100 against Harry Brook and Ben Duckett?” Zak Crawley soon chimed in, stating “you can shake our hands and it’s done.”
England’s behaviour sparked widespread criticism, including from England fans themselves. Soon after, Harry Brook was lobbing up the friendliest of pies to speeden up proceedings, and the players agreed to call a draw once Washington Sundar reached a deserved maiden Test hundred.
When asked about the matter in the press conference, India coach Gautam Gambhir pondered whether England would do the same.
“Would they have walked off if someone from England was batting on 90 or 85 and someone has the opportunity to get his first Test hundred?” Gambhir said.
“Would you allow him to do it? It’s up to them, if they want to play that way, that’s up to them. I think both those guys deserved a hundred and fortunately they got it.”
Reactions: Ben Stokes, England criticised for conduct in final hour of Manchester Test
“England went into this righteous fit the moment their offer for the draw was not accepted,” wrote Sidharth Monga in his piece for ESPNcricinfo.
“There is no specific morally superior way of playing the game. The laws of the game clearly say you can’t consider a game over until the overs are bowled or both captains have agreed on ending the game prematurely.”
Yet, England seemed appalled. Both Jadeja and Sundar deserved their hundreds, batting through to stumps after they were still under great pressure at lunch.
Here are some of the reactions from fans on X (formerly Twitter).
India were 0/2 in the first over of their second innings, trailing by 311 runs. They lost just two wickets in the remaining 142 overs. As a result, they now have the chance to level the series in the fifth and final Test at The Oval starting on Thursday.
