Ben Stokes found himself at the center of controversy for his actions on Day 5 of the fourth Test as England and India played out a draw. The visitors, reeling at 0/2 in their second innings at Old Trafford, staged a strong comeback and crossed 311 to avoid an innings defeat shortly before Tea.
In the third session, all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar batted for an additional hour and a half, increasing India's lead to 75 as the match's final hour was set to start. Jadeja and Sundar, who were nearing their hundreds, refused Stokes' invitation to shake hands as the match was headed for a certain draw.
Stokes and his England teammates became enraged as a result. Subsequently, they attempted to undermine both Indian batters. After reaching their hundreds and sharing the final chuckle, the two finally shook hands for a draw.
Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar expressed his anger after the incident, saying the England skipper "behaved like a spoiled kid."
Former England cricketer Jonathan Trott backed Stokes, claiming that if England had been in India's position, they would not have placed as much emphasis on individual achievements.
Former England great Kevin Pietersen stood up for Stokes. In a statement posted on X, he also took aim at the detractors.
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He wrote, “2 days fielding and no result on the cards - you WANT to get off the field! You cannot have a pop at Ben Stokes for his frustration. Very easy to have a pop at him when you’re sitting in your lounge watching. You’re NOT in the battle. Leave the men in the ring to be emotional.”
“And the Stokes issue should NOT distract from the batters who batted to save the Test Match! Outstanding effort and one which makes The Oval a v v important Test”, he added in another post.
During that phase, Stokes used Brook and Root because he didn't want to risk any of his pacers, as he disclosed in the post-match presentation. However, Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill backed Sundar and Jadeja, saying they were deserving of their tons.
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