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Ben Stokes’ England find new moral highground as they fume at Indian duo for scoring centuries

The new tough-talking, pot-stirring English cricket team is suffering from a baffling identity crisis on the eve of the Ashes tour, going into meltdown after two Indian batters had the audacity to tell them ‘no’.

The new tough-talking, pot-stirring English cricket team is suffering from a baffling identity crisis on the eve of the Ashes tour.

And at least one former Australian star – Mitchell Johnson – reckons they are full of hot air and fooling no-one.

Following a private concern expressed in a team meeting by batsman Harry Brook that England were “too nice’’ for their own good, the side had started sledging India in the last two Tests of the series they lead 2-1.

It’s been a terse series between England and India. Picture: Gareth Copley/Getty Images
It’s been a terse series between England and India. Picture: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Things came to a fiery head in the drawn Test at Old Trafford where England captain Ben Stokes was furious that India’s match-savers Ravi Jadeja and Washington Sundar refused to shake his hand when he offered it to declare the match a draw – instead opting to bat on.

Jadeja, 89 not out at the time, and Sundar unbeaten on 80, understandably wanted to bring up hard-fought hundreds – and rub England’s weary bowlers’ noses in the dirt a bit longer – before shaking hands on proceedings.

The Indian duo had been heavily sledged by the English team and taunted for playing for their milestone centuries, prompting Stokes to make a mockery of them by bringing Brook on to bowl an assortment of deliberately comical deliveries.

England weren’t happy with Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar for pursuiting centuries/ Picture: Stu Forster/Getty Images
England weren’t happy with Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar for pursuiting centuries/ Picture: Stu Forster/Getty Images

In his column for The Nightly, Johnson said England’s antics are just a smokescreen.

“I had plenty to say when I played – and copped plenty back,’’ Johnson wrote.

“But that came with a bit of purpose. Sledging only works when you are dominating. And to be honest, right now England aren’t.

“They haven’t won an Ashes series in Australia since 2010-11. They still don’t know who their best top six is. Their Bazball model has some punch but it’s flimsy when conditions swing or spin.

“So maybe talking tough is a cover. A bit of theatre while they figure out the actual cricket.’’

Whoever coined the phrase “show me a guy with a swagger and I will show you someone hiding insecurities’’ would have found it a fascinating case study at Old Trafford where a suddenly feisty England flexed their tongues against an unfazed Indian side who achieved that curiously rare result – a draw.

Ben Duckett tipped early in the day “it’s going to happen in a flurry lads’’ but it never did.

Later in the day Brook said to Sundar: “F------ hell Washy. Get on with it.’’

At the time he was 95 off 200 balls and in the process of saving the Test.

English skipper Stokes joined in by taunting fellow century-maker Jadeja: “You want to score a Test hundred against Harry Brook? If you wanted to score a Test century you should have batted like you wanted to get it.’’

Clearly irate by the duo’s intention to reach three figures, Stokes brought on Brook, who decided to bowl some absurd overs of spin.

Harry Brook was brought on to bowl as India’s batters closed in on tons. Picture: Stu Forster/Getty Images
Harry Brook was brought on to bowl as India’s batters closed in on tons. Picture: Stu Forster/Getty Images

Duckett joined it with: “How long do you need. An hour?

In 2023, England lectured Australia on the spirit of cricket following the Jonny Bairstow firestorm at Lord’s.

Now apparently, you aren’t allowed to play for personal milestones if Stokes and England have decided they’ve had enough.

English cricket journalist Cameron Ponsonby was scathing of England’s moral hypocrisies in his column for Cricket Et Al.

“The whole point of this England team is they don’t do draws. And yet here they were, mocking the bloke who had outplayed them, because India hadn’t shaken hands when they wanted to,” Ponsonby wrote.

“England started this year conceding that they needed to be more ‘humble.’ They then decided before the Lord’s Test that they’d actually spent all this time being too nice. They’ve also been working with Gilbert Enoka, who is credited with the All Blacks “no dickheads policy”.

“So in short, when giving Washy (Sundar) a spray, do so humbly, while not being a d**khead, but also not being nice. Righto.

“In fairness, God forbid any of our moral compasses should be audited at their every turn.”

Originally published as Ben Stokes’ England find new moral highground as they fume at Indian duo for scoring centuries

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/cricket/ben-stokes-england-find-new-moral-highground-as-they-fume-at-indian-duo-for-scoring-centuries/news-story/7a92790c59333d610fe0d8ce1e076229