Conflicts and tense moments between India and England have dominated conversations leading up to the fifth and final Test match of an exciting Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Perhaps the pinnacle of this was the fourth Test match, which ended in a draw in Manchester. England captain Ben Stokes was at odds with the Indian team and the media over his conduct and behavior.
Even if handshake-gate has generated a lot of internet discussion and debate, the majority of cricket fans appear to support Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar's decision to continue playing in an attempt to reach their milestones. Due to his and his team's remarks at Old Trafford, Stokes has turned into a pantomime villain for many, giving some people the chance to laugh at his expense.
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One of these had a player from England's longstanding adversaries, Nathan Lyon, who was available to deliver a shrewd comment that quickly dismantled the antics on display and criticized England for their actions in Manchester.
“Get them out. Don’t let them get a hundred,” stated Lyon bluntly and ruthlessly during a press conference for the Melbourne Renegades of the Big Bash League.
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Stokes, along with teammates like Harry Brook and Zak Crawley, faced heavy criticism for engaging in gamesmanship after offering India a draw late on Day 5. England were accused of moral grandstanding on the field, as many pointed out that India’s batters were well within their rights to pursue personal milestones.
Lyon also offered his thoughts on the quality of the pitches being developed in England, pointing out that the Old Trafford field has received criticism for only taking 24 wickets over five full days of play. Lyon underlined the importance of sporting wickets for the game's well-being.
“It’s always been a great competition between bat and ball and that’s the way Australia’s produced wickets like that… That’s the way cricket should be, you want to see competition between bat and ball," said Lyon. “I think that’s crucial, and all the fans, that’s what they want to see, they don’t really want to watch what happened over in Manchester last week.”
England currently hold a 2-1 lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, but India have a chance to level the series with a win at The Oval this week.
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