(Video) Sore Loser? Ben Stokes Refuses to Shake Hands with Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar After Tense Finish to Manchester Test

Keeping aside from the "handshake" controversy, Ben Stokes earned the Player of the Match award at Old Trafford for his century and six wickets.

(Video) Sore Loser? Ben Stokes Refuses to Shake Hands with Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar After Tense Finish to Manchester Test

England captain Ben Stokes was seen refusing to shake hands with Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, post match. (via News 18)

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The fourth Test between India and England at Old Trafford ended with a salty twist, when Ben Stokes supposedly refused to shake hands with Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar after the final day’s play. This gesture seemed a direct reaction to the Indian duo batting through the entire day.

India and England played out a nail-biting draw at Old Trafford in Manchester, giving the visitors a chance to remain alive in the five-match Test series. This marks only the second draw for England’s Test team since the “Baz-ball” era began in 2022 under head coach Brendon McCullum. Their only previous draw was against Australia in the 2023 Ashes, interestingly at the same venue.

At Old Trafford, India put up a first innings score of 358 runs, guided by half-centuries from Yashavi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan and Rishabh Pant. In response, the Three Lions showcased their aggressive style of playing Test cricket, bringing up 669 runs in their first innings. For England, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, and Ollie Pope all scored over 50, while Joe Root made history with an impressive 150-run innings. Ben Stokes also played a significant knock, adding 141 runs.

India were up for a daunting task, which was to continue batting until the final stages and secure a draw. Their second innings started disastrously, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan dismissed in the very first over. However, Shubman Gill‘s hundred and KL Rahul‘s 90-run knock stabilized the innings, while Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja batted through Day 5, guiding India to 425/4 before the end.

Jadeja and Sundar’s determined batting through the final two sessions frustrated England, whose chances of winning the match dwindled. With his team looking tired, Stokes appealed to the two Indian batsmen, who were then in their eighties, to agree to a draw.

However, the request was turned down, with both Jadeja and Sundar willing to complete their hundreds, leading to heated on-field exchanges between the players, with an anguished Stokes even handing the ball to Harry Brook.

By the time the two Indian all-rounders completed their hundreds and ended their 203-runs stand in the 143rd over, it had already left the English players exhausted. However, the post-match tension escalated when seemingly Ben Stokes was spotted refusing to shake hands during the post-match rituals. Still seething, fans criticized the England captain after he rebuffed Ravindra Jadeja’s attempt to shake hands, leading to a heated exchange between the two players.

While the initial video showed Stokes’ visibly upset by the end, another video released by England Cricket later depicted Jadeja and Stokes shaking hands on the pitch. The ECB further clarified that Stokes was, in fact, the first to acknowledge the end of play after the final over.

Ben Stokes Breaks Silence on ‘Handshake’ Controversy After Drawn Fourth Test Against India

England’s Test captain, Ben Stokes, addressed the recent “handshake” controversy. The situation arose after he had asked Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar to concede the draw before the final 15 overs. The request was politely declined by the Indian players.

Ben Stokes on 'Handshake' Controversy
Ben Stokes defended his actions, following criticism over his request to the Indian players to shake hands. (via NDTV)

The 34-year-old faced significant criticism from fans and former cricketers, with many believing he was trying to prevent the Indian players from reaching their centuries. However, during the post-match press conference, Stokes defended his actions, clarifying that his intention was only to push for a draw because he was unwilling to risk his frontline bowlers with only 15 overs left and no realistic chance of a result.

I think we took the game as far as we could… But as soon as it got to that point where it was the draw’s inevitable here, I was never going to risk any of my frontline bowlers with the short turnaround that we have.

Ben Stokes at the post-match press conference (H/T: NDTV)

Moreover, England’s captain also praised Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar in his post-match interview, commending their performances on Day 5. All eyes are now on the final Test of the series, scheduled to begin on June 31st.