IND vs ENG 2025 4th Test Handshake Saga: Ben Stokes was behaving like a 'spoilt kid'. says star India cricketer

India.com

2 days ago

England captain Ben Stokes argues with Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja on Day 5 of 4th Test in Manchester. (Photo: IANS)
The fourth Test between India and England ended in a draw at the Old Trafford stadium in Manchester on Sunday. It was just the second draw in the 'Bazball' era on England soil under captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum.
However, the thrilling clash which ended with a heroic display by the young Indian team ended on a sour note on the final day. With the final hour starting the 4th Test and India only four wickets down, England skipper Ben Stokes approached the two India batters in the middle – Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar – with an offer to call off the game as a draw.
But Jadeja and Sundar refused the offer as both of them were approaching well-deserved centuries. Stokes was not at all pleased that his side had to spend more time in the middle, even as Jadeja and Sundar approached personal milestones.
After the Test match eventually ended in a draw, Stokes refused to shake the hands of two Indian centurions Jadeja and Sundar.
Ben Stokes refusing a handshake with Sundar & Jadeja isn't 'passion' — it's poor sportsmanship.
You can't preach spirit of the game and forget it when the fight doesn't go your way. 👎#RavindraJadeja #Jadeja 🇮🇳🇮🇳
#INDvsENGTest #Sundar pic.twitter.com/QGzEKyb5LC
— Sagar Lohatkar (@sagarlohatkar) July 27, 2025
Former India cricketer and JioHotstar expert Sanjay Manjrekar felt that Stokes was behaving like a 'spoilt kid'.
'I think that was the perfect summation of what happened — a draw that feels like a win. And yet again, this young Indian batting line-up continues to surprise. You expected KL Rahul and Shubman Gill to be the partnership to watch out for, but that stand was broken early in the day. However, India keeps producing warriors every Test match — this time, it was Washington Sundar who stood tall,' Manjrekar said after the final day's play.
'Fantastic batting once again. In the end, what we saw was frustration from a team that is used to dominating at home. It's rare to see England settle for a draw twice in the Bazball era. Remember, this is the first time Ben Stokes abandoned his principle of batting first after winning the toss — and it happened against India. This draw, without any weather intervention, came against India. That says a lot. India has forced Stokes to rethink his approach and leadership style. What we saw towards the end was a captain frustrated, unaccustomed to such results, and having to fight so hard to secure a favorable outcome. He thought the win was sealed, and finally, I must say, he behaved like a bit of a spoilt kid.
'After hours of watching Jadeja and Washington bat for hours, both nearing centuries, there was no way India would have accepted his declaration offer. Ben Stokes will regret that moment — and that frustration only tells you how much this new-age Indian batting line-up has unsettled England throughout the series,' the former India batter added. No personal milestones before team's goal for Ben Stokes: Jonathan Trott
Manjrekar's English counterpart Jonathan Trott also chipped in on the 'handshake' controversy on the final day. Trott revealed that Stokes gesture was a common practice in England in Test cricket.
'I am not sure if it was necessary, but the common practice — certainly here in England — is that if you're offered the opportunity to finish the game early, it's usually more about the game situation than personal milestones. From Ben Stokes' perspective, no personal milestone comes ahead of the team's goal. In this case, India's goal was to secure a draw, and they achieved that,' JioHotstar expert Jonathan Trott said.
'So for England, the expectation was that India would shake hands and walk off with 80 not out — that would normally suffice. But I can also understand the other side. For someone like Washington Sundar, who has batted so well, giving up the chance to score a debut hundred is not easy. You never know when another opportunity will come. So, I understand both viewpoints. England are probably a little frustrated but that's natural. What this does, though, is set things up nicely for the next Test. It's going to be spicy, and I'm looking forward to it,' he added. 'England bowlers performance is very worrying'
Even after leading Team India by 311 runs in the first innings, England bowlers failed to bowl out Shubman Gill's side in the Manchester Test. English bowlers got the perfect start with two wickets in the very first over of the Indian innings but only picked up two more wickets for better part of two days.
'England tried everything, didn't they? They can't say they didn't give their best. But for me, the concern lies in the quality — and as an England fan and former player, with the Ashes coming up and this series on the line, it's worrying. England bowled 142 overs and managed just two wickets on a Day 4 and 5 pitch where the ball was keeping low. Both wickets came in the first over. That's slightly concerning because they had two bites at the new ball when India were under pressure, yet couldn't capitalize.
'Looking at India, though, we've discovered another strong left-handed batter and a quality all-rounder in Washington Sundar — just 25-26 (years old). He can excel in both disciplines and looks like the heir apparent to Ravindra Jadeja whenever he decides to hang up his boots. Sundar has batted magnificently, and he seems capable of playing for a long time. This makes India's selection tricky going forward, but it certainly makes the team a lot stronger,' Trott said.