By Will Macpherson
England’s captain Ben Stokes was furious that two of India’s batsmen opted to complete centuries rather than accept his offer of a handshake to end the fourth Test early.
After only managing to pick up four Indian wickets across 138 overs as they pushed to win the match and the series, England offered to declare the fourth Test a draw at the start of the final hour, when there were 15 overs remaining in the match, around 5.25pm local time.
What happened?
England took the draw worse than a defeat, not covering themselves in glory as they reacted to centuries by Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar with churlish cynicism.
It is in keeping with their view of the sport as a team game that once the final hour started with India 75 ahead at 4-386, the match was over as a contest, so why not pull up stumps?
Stokes offered his hand for the draw, but India slapped it away to emphasise their total dominance at the end of the Test, to leave England leading the series 2-1 going into the final clash.
Ben Stokes (left) and Ravindra Jadeja exchange words at the end of the match.Credit: Getty Images
Jadeja and Sundar, who had batted together since the morning session of day five, were in the 80s and eyeing hundreds, so declined Stokes’s offer to end the game.
In a clash of cricketing cultures – Stokes’s team claims not to care about personal milestones – cross words were exchanged as the game was completed in limp fashion.
India treasure individual milestones so captain Shubman Gill allowed both batsmen – Jadeja on 89, Sundar 80 – to complete deserved hundreds.
Stokes brought on Harry Brook (bowling average 105) to make his point. “This one will mean a lot,” said a sarcastic Ben Duckett when Sundar was on 99.
Jadeja (107 not out) helped himself to a hundred first, then Sundar (101 not out) followed suit. Sundar took a few minutes to get there, prompting Harry Brook to sledge “F---ing hell, Washi, get on with it” after a couple of blocked deliveries.
Ravindra Jadeja celebrates his century.Credit: AP
The game ended in truly farcical fashion as Sundar pushed into the legside and ran through to celebrate his maiden Test hundred.
However, the ball was just dribbling along the outfield, with the fielder Duckett in the coldest imaginable pursuit. Sundar celebrated, but Jadeja was looking for more runs, and they eventually completed a second.
Hands were finally shaken, with Stokes appearing to exchange cross words with the veteran Jadeja for keeping the game alive for 15 more minutes.
England only had themselves to blame for taking just two wickets in 143 overs, dropping three catches: Gill on 46 and 81 and Jadeja first ball. Gill scored 103, putting on 188 with KL Rahul, and Sundar and Jadeja added an unbroken 223 for the fifth wicket in 56 overs.
What was the reaction?
Stokes explained his frustration: “All the hard work was done by India, they both played incredibly well. They got to the point where there was only one result and there was no chance I would risk a fast bowler with injury.
“[Liam Dawson] had bowled so many overs and he was tired and cramping. I wasn’t risking any of my frontline bowlers in the last half hour.”
Other players were similarly unimpressed: Jofra Archer said: “If you wanted a hundred you should have batted like it earlier.”
Zak Crawley opined: “If you shake our hands, it’s done.”
Duckett snapped: “How long do you need, an hour?”
But India delighted in their determination to see out the match. “It’s no less than a win for us, this draw,” said Gill. “I think both the batsmen batted brilliantly, both were around 90. A Test hundred is a Test hundred and we thought they deserved a century. We thought three or four overs is not a lot of overs.”
Former England captain Michael Vaughan said: “I quite admired it. The young captain, the two out in the middle could have shaken hands but they had played so well and fought hard. You earn the right to get three figures. The last 10 runs were farcical, but you earn the right and India deserve a huge amount of credit.”
Daily Telegraph, London
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