'Every single day...': Washington Sundar reveals how Ben Stokes’ handshake row ignited India’s fire on England tour

Washington Sundar reveals how Ben Stokes’ handshake row ignited India’s fire on England tour. (Photo: X)

Washington Sundar, who was at the center of the notorious handshake dispute between India and England, offered his opinions on the matter. India was battling to avoid a loss after England took a commanding first-innings lead on the last day of the Manchester Test. After KL Rahul and Shubman Gill laid the foundation for India's formidable second-innings fight, Ravindra Jadeja and Sundar launched an assault on the English bowlers on the last day.

In the last hour, as both Jadeja and Sundar were nearing hundreds, England captain Ben Stokes approached Jadeja and shook hands, which is how England traditionally signals a draw and ends play early when there are still roughly 15 overs left. India, however, turned down the offer. On the cusp of personal milestones, Jadeja and Sundar were committed to seeing them through. Stokes and a few other England players were not happy with the decision and displayed obvious signs of discontent.

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When two extremely competitive teams play each other on the field, incidents like these happen frequently, according to Sundar's analysis of the situation.

"I mean, it just happens in any sport, doesn't it?" Washington told Wisden. "We've seen a lot of such things happen, not just in cricket, but in any sport. I mean, that's how sport is. It brings out a lot. I think it was just an experience for all of us, honestly." Sundar admitted that the tension kind of fired him up," he said.

The Indian all-rounder went on to admit that the occurrence gave the team's performance more vigor, describing how such incidents often make a match more intense, especially in the red-ball format.

"One hundred per cent," he said. "You ask this to any player — that's exactly what you would hear. Especially in Test cricket, you want to be challenged because that's exactly what you expect every single day. And when the situation gets tough, the only thing that will help you get over it and come out successful is being really tough in your head," he added.

In his discussion of the requirements for succeeding in the longest format, Sundar emphasized the significance of maintaining high standards over time.

"Every player who's played this format and been successful would have done this extremely well and over a long period of time, quite consistently as well," he said.