Ben Stokes: Snubbed handshakes, swollen toes, and the 2019 World Cup robbery

India Today

4 days ago

Oh, poor Ben Stokes, caught in a whirlwind of Indian profanity and stump-mic snubs! The man's name already rhymes with a naughty word that nobody would utter at a family reunion, other than Harbhajan Singh. And now he's getting flak for extending a gentlemanly hand at Old Trafford. Talk about a bromance gone sour.Ben Stokes, with a name that sparks giggles in India, thought he'd play the noble knight, offering a draw like a cricket Casanova. But the Indian batters they Harried him good, refusing to budge from the crease like they were the East India Company, unwanted but still the masters and Lords of Old Trafford. 'Walk? Nah, mate, we're here to play the game,' they seemed to say, leaving Stokes' offer on the pitch, like a rose rejected at a dinner date.advertisementHis inner child, all Stoked for some sportsmanship, must've been sobbing in the dressing room. 'Brook no refusal!' he'd cry, cursing batters for not buying his entitled draw offer, preferring to Crawl-ey to personal milestones. Root of the problem: poor lad was just trying to keep the game fair, but now he's the Ben Stokes in a cuss fest.
And let's talk about the real crime here: those Indian batters chasing personal milestones like bandits chasing the bounty. Meanwhile, Stokesy, the selfless saint, racking up his 150 and watching Joe Root smash records like a philanthropist donating to the cause of humanity. Don't you dare call it personal, Ben would've retired at 149 if someone had just asked. A true gent, that one if only Shubman Gill knew when to offer that hand.Then there's the bowling saga. Stokes built a lead so massive it outdid Saiyara's box-office haul, making India's bowlers sweat like they were auditioning for a steamy commercial. In the Bazball era, a cheeky 100-150 lead would've set up a fourth-innings chase spicier than a Curry Western. But Ben? He made those bowlers toil like he wanted them gasping before the fifth Test, break Jasprit Bumrah's break. Yet, when it was time to unleash his 'big fast bowlers' in the final hour, his heart bled for their swollen toes. Chest puffed, eyes misty, he whispered, 'Not my lads, not today! A knight protecting his minions. Aww!The same generosity was extended to his rivals, just misunderstood. Stokes wanted Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar to notch their tons. Pure charity, that. But, like a bleeding heart gent, he didn't want them slaving through overs on a dead track under the hot sun.So, he tossed Harry Brook to the wolves, letting him serve up dibbly-dobblies and gibbly-gobblies like a buffet for tired tigers. Poor Brook knows self respect, but then why let hubris ruin a churlish fit? Stokes could've bowled himself, maybe even kicked the ball to the boundary for India's sake, tarnishing his own record for the gentleman's code. But no, he's too noble to be the diva himself when Brook's ready for the tragic act.advertisementAnd the cherry on this spicy biryani? Stokes, the gallant, aiming yorkers at Rishabh Pant's busted foot like it's a dartboard at a pub, all in the name of 'cricket's spirit.' Nothing screams chivalry like targeting a broken toe, right? Move over, Ben Kingsley—Ben Stokes is the new Gandhi, rewriting cricket's rulebook with snubbed handshakes, savage sledges, and new ahimsa cheat codes.The man's out here playing Gandhi with handshakes in 2025, but let's rewind to that 2019 World Cup final where his invisibility cloak of honour slipped, exposing that sport's an emperor without clothes, a naked pursuit for honours, victory, milestones.Picture it: Lord's, the final. The ball pings off Stokes' bat, gifting England six runs they didn't earn. Fair? Chivalrous? Stokes, the 'gentleman,' didn't exactly sprint to the umpires begging to give the runs back, did he? Nah, he soaked up the glory, probably whispering, 'Cheers, mate, it's just the rules, sorry.' And the Kiwis were left holding a sheepish apology instead of the trophy.So, mate, that's what Old Trafford teaches us: play by the rules, not by individual codes of honour or hypocritical definitions of the spirit of the game. The game's not over till the last ball is bowled, offering a handshake when you can't win makes you a sore loser, not a gentleman.Play it hard, play it fair, play it till the end. And, don't be a Ben Stokes, offering a handshake when it is not wanted, and sulking when it's refused.- EndsMust Watch