Drama unfolded within the high-intensity Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in Manchester on Sunday (July 27, 2025) after Indian batters Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar refused England skipper Ben Stokes’ offer to call off the fourth Test and accept a draw before the start of the ultimate hour of play.
There is a provision that enables each captains to shake palms and agree to a draw in the event that they really feel that the chance of a result’s unattainable.
Having labored exhausting to earn a creditable draw, Jadeja and Washington, batting on 89 and 80 respectively, refused Stokes’ offer after he had approached the umpire, which irked the England skipper no finish.
With each approaching their a whole lot after having saved the match for India who began their second innings 311 runs in arrears, Jadeja and Washington exercised their rights to proceed batting.
India coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Shubman Gill backed the choice to stick with it batting.
“If someone is batting on 90 and the other one is batting on 85, don’t they deserve a hundred? Would they have walked off if someone from England’s side would have been batting on 90 or 85? “If somebody has the chance to get his first Test hundred, will not you enable him to do it? They weathered the storm. It’s up to them,” Gambhir said at the post-match press conference.
“If they need to play that method, that is up to them. I’ve bought nothing extra to say. I feel each these guys deserved 100, and luckily they bought it.” On his part, Gill said, “It was up to the boys and each of them had been of their 90s, they deserved to rating centuries.” In the field of play earlier, Stokes had a few words to say as Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett were also seen enquiring as to why India wanted to carry on.
“Do you need to rating 100 in opposition to Harry Brook?” Stokes asked sarcastically and all Jadeja said was “I am unable to do something.” Stokes said later, “We took the sport so far as we may. As quickly as draw appeared inevitable, I wasn’t going to threat my bowlers with the quick turnaround (time of three days before the start of fifth Test).” Amid the drama, a smiling Jadeja maintained his grace and ticked the English players off as India, as per rules, were well within their rights to carry on batting.
In what seemed like a mark of protest, Stokes introduced Harry Brook into the attack and Jadeja hit him for a six to complete his third Test hundred.
However, England team’s poor attitude was at the forefront as they started bowling proverbial long hops or “donkey drops” as a mark of protest.
