"If I Was Captain...": R Ashwin Doesn't Mince Words In Fiery Verdict On Handshake Row

NDTV

19 hours ago

Feisty R Ashwin called out England's "doubles standards" in their attempt to prematurely end the fourth Test as cricket fraternity extensively supported India's decision to let Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar complete their well-deserved centuries instead of accepting home team's handshake offer. Drama erupted at the start of the final hour of the match on Sunday when home skipper Ben Stokes offered to shake hands with Indian batters, realising that an outright result was not possible.
Jadeja and Washington, batting on 89 and 80 respectively, refused the offer to leave the England captain frustrated. Stokes later said that he made the offer since he didn't want to risk injury to his fatigued frontline bowlers.
"Have you heard the term double standards? They played your bowlers all day, batted you out and suddenly when they're nearing hundreds, you want to walk off? Why should they?," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
"They have played all your bowlers since morning and taken it to a draw. They have worked hard, so you want them to leave their hundred?" the former off-spinner fumed.
India eventually called it a draw once both Jadeja and Washington brought up their centuries. It was Washington's maiden Test ton.
Both Ashwin and legendary Sunil Gavaskar said they would have had India bat mandated 15 overs.
"If I was the Indian captain, I would have played the entire 15 overs," Ashwin said.
Gavaskar echoed the same sentiment on Sony Sports: "I'd ask them to keep batting and keep the team on the field for the full 15 overs." As England players crowded Jadeja, Stokes had sarcastically quipped "You're going to get a Test hundred against Harry Brook (part-time bowler)?" "You ask, 'You want to make a hundred against Harry Brook? He has to make a hundred, you bring Steve Harmison, Andre Flintoff bring any bowler - they didn't object, it was your call to bring Brook, not ours," Ashwin said.
"These are Test runs, a century is earned, not gifted, Washington deserved it, Jadeja deserved it. Period." Ashwin said India were well within their rights to refuse to call it a draw with the two batters going for their milestone.
"There were two reasons: one you didn't want to tire your bowlers. Fine. Second you were frustrated and though 'If I'm not happy, you shouldn't be either'. That's now how cricket works." Former Australia keeper-batter Brad Haddin called out England for their poor sportsmanship.
"India showed tremendous fight on the final day. Then all of a sudden, it was a situation when England said they can't win so then let's stop the game because England are done playing," Haddin said on the 'WillowTalkPodcast'.
"I liked what India did, they earned the right to stay as long as they want. They had the right to make the hundred. Just because it didn't go England's way and they didn't get the answer that they want, all of sudden they (England) weren't happy and started getting verbal.
"So things don't go England's way all of sudden it's everyone else's problem. Well done to India," Haddin said.
Former England captain Alastair Cook too backed India's decision, suggesting the momentum would serve them well heading into the fifth and final Test at The Oval, which they need to win to level the series.
"It was the right decision for (Jadeja and Washington) to carry on for the momentum they'll gain from it," Cook said on BBC's 'Test Match Special'.
"When you've been out in the field for 140 overs, you get frustrated. So, it is a little bit of frustration for England but I understand why India did it," he added.
Nasser Hussain, another former skipper, agreed termed Stokes' decision to bowl Harry Brook after the handshake as "silly".
"I didn't have a problem with it. England seemed to have a problem with it. They were a bit tired, tired bowlers so they wanted to get off but two lads worked hard to get to 80s and 90s and they wanted to get Test match hundreds," Hussain said on 'Sky Sports'.
"Stokes didn't have to bowl Brook and look silly at the end. We make far too much of these things. They played well and all credit to India," Hussain said.