IND vs ENG Test | ‘Draw was the aim’: Dale Steyn hits out at Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar for chasing ‘free milestones’ | Cricket News – Times of India

The fourth Test between India and England at Old Trafford led to a gripping draw, however not with out drama in the closing hour. As the match moved past any reasonable consequence, England captain Ben Stokes and Harry Brook provided to finish the recreation early on mutual settlement. However, Indian batters Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar selected to proceed batting in pursuit of their centuries. Following the recreation, rumours circulated suggesting that Stokes refused to shake palms with Jadeja after the match ended. While that declare has been debunked, the second has sparked contrasting opinions from former cricketers. Among these including their voice to the debate is former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn. In an in depth put up on X, Steyn acknowledged the complexity of the state of affairs, writing, “This onion has many layers to it, and each one will make someone cry.” He continued, “The only issue I see here is the one thing people aren’t realizing, the batters weren’t playing for 100s, they were batting for a DRAW. That was the goal. Draw the game.”

Dale Steyn on X (Screengrab)

Steyn defined that when the draw was assured and a consequence was out of the query, accepting a handshake would have been the sportsmanlike factor to do. “Once that was accomplished, and a result was out of the question, a handshake was offered. That’s the gentlemanly thing to do right?”

He added, “It’s not then the time to realize they safe and now say no we’d prefer some free milestones… although within the rules, just seems a little, well, odd.” Despite this, Steyn did credit score the Indian batters for their efficiency. “That said, they did bat well, and maybe with the last hour approaching they should have been more aggressive in reaching those milestones. At least then, we could all agree, no team tried to outdo the other in this weird situation.”

The closing Test at The Oval now guarantees to be a charged decider, with each groups and fanbases fired up. India will look to drag off a win in the closing Test whereas the hosts will look to seal the sequence in trend with a win on the Test beginning July 31.