India has drawn the Manchester Test, and it is not less than a win. India was 0 for 2, trailing by 311 runs with four complete sessions remaining. However, an unthinkable happened. First, KL Rahul and Shubman Gill took India to 188 with their sensible batting. KL Rahul was unfortunate to miss out on a hundred when Ben Stokes’ delivery kept low, struck him in the pads. But Shubman Gill, followed by Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, scored centuries and frustrated England.
What could have been a victory for England ended up in a draw. However, a very rare moment of sportsmanship happened when England skipper Ben Stokes extended an unexpected offer, which was a chance to end the match in a draw. However, Team India wasn’t done just yet, with Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar inching toward well-deserved centuries as India made a bold call that we will play till we want to.
Team India Refused Ben Stokes’ Offer
On Day 5 of the Manchester Test, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar put salt in England’s wound when they turned down Ben Stokes’ offer of a draw just before the start of the last hour of play. When the score was 386 for 4, with India ahead by 75 runs, Stokes went to the umpires and offered to shake hands with the Indian players. The England captain admitted that there was no realistic hope of a home team victory with 15 overs left.
Indian batters Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, who were both reaching individual hundreds, rejected England captain Ben Stokes’ handshake offer to indicate a mutual draw in an odd conclusion to the fourth Test match at Old Trafford on Sunday.
When Ben Stokes offered the decision to end the Test an hour early, Jadeja was undefeated on 89, and Sundar on 80. Ben Stokes didn’t seem totally happy about India’s choice to turn down the draw. Following an extended discussion with the umpire and the two batters, the England captain was shown shaking his head.
During the post-match news conference, Ben Stokes told reporters, “I wasn’t going to risk any of our main bowlers because the draw was inevitable.” “We have a lot of work ahead of us, and the major game is in three days. The only thing at stake was safeguarding our resources.”
Ben Stokes, who admitted to being “physically a bit bad” and had been nursing obvious discomfort, stressed the importance of controlling player fatigue.
“Once again, it has been a busy week at Lord’s. Everyone is a little sore, but pain is just a feeling. We’ll have to make good use of the downtime,” he continued.
India came back from 0/2 early in their second innings to 386/4, with a 75-run lead at the time of the handshake offer. With a tough 150-run partnership, Jadeja (89 not out) and Sundar (80 not out) had batted England out of the match with no signs of slowing down.
Despite being grounded in common sense, Stokes’s offer was turned down, and the decision caused some controversy. When Stokes sarcastically asked if they “wanted to score a hundred off Harry Brook,” Jadeja’s modest response was, “I can’t do anything.” Later, Jadeja hit a six off Harry Brook to complete his century. Later, Washington Sundar also notched his ton.
Shubman Gill, the captain of India, justified the decision to keep batting by stating, “We thought they batted brilliantly, but it was up to the boys.” We felt they should reach their centuries, even though they were both in their 90s.
‘Ben Stokes Acted Like A Spoiled Kid’, Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar, a former cricket player for India, attacked Ben Stokes, accusing the England captain of acting like a spoiled child.
When the incident occurred, Sanjay Manjrekar, who was on-air, pointed out what appeared to be evident. “India and England won’t shake hands anytime soon. Two of your batters are on the edge of reaching their hundreds. Would Ben Stokes have accepted it if the roles had been reversed? India is obviously not shaking hands here, and I believe that’s the proper course of action,” he said.
Being upset that the batters haven’t left and that he must bowl his overworked primary bowlers is one thing. Ben Stokes, however, was acting like a spoiled child by tossing lollipops and displaying a hint of grumpiness there.
“I can see why he was taken aback by India’s desire to go on. ‘Why didn’t you get a hundred against the main bowlers if that’s what you wanted?’ That was his complaint. However, things won’t go the way you want them to. He ought to have handled that more skillfully. On that particular instance, Ben Stokes, the champion and person I look up to, acted like a spoiled child,” said Manjrekar, who was a former Indian cricketer.
Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | X |
Youtube | Pinterest | Google News |
Entertales is on YouTube; click here to subscribe for the latest videos and updates.