On Day 5 of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, tensions flared when England offered an early draw, but India declined, with Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar nearing their centuries. England skipper Ben Stokes was visibly frustrated and didn’t bother to sledge the Indian batters, despite their impressive performance. He called them out for being interested in playing against Harry Brook.
While several pundits criticised Stokes for his reaction, he remained silent on the issue. However, after the series concluded in a 2-2 draw, Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar weighed in, defending India’s decision to continue batting. Tendulkar suggested the move could have been tactical, to wear down England’s pace attack ahead of the fifth Test. He added that it was England’s choice to hand the ball to part-timer Brook, and India had no reason to adjust their approach because of it.
“Washington scored a hundred, and Jadeja scored a hundred. Why is it not in the right spirit? They were playing for a draw. Before that, they battled it out when England were having a go at them, and negotiated it all to bat brilliantly. The series was alive, so why should they go ahead (and shake hands) and give rest to England bowlers and fielders?” said Tendulkar in a video interaction on Reddit.
When they came out to bat, Harry Brook wasn't bowling, was he?: Tendulkar
“If England wanted to hand the ball to Harry Brook, it was Ben Stokes' choice. It wasn't India's problem. To me, it was fine. They were playing for a draw, not their hundreds. If they had gotten out when they came to bat, we could've lost. When they came out to bat, Harry Brook wasn't bowling, was he? So, why should England's bowlers be fresh for the 5th Test? Do you have an answer for that? No!” he added.
Meanwhile, Stokes didn’t feature in the fifth Test against India at The Oval. A shoulder injury ruled him out as the Shubman Gill-led side secured a narrow six-wicket win to finish the series on level terms.