ENG vs IND, fourth Test: Jadeja, Washington refuse Ben Stokes' offer to call off match before start of mandatory overs

The Hindu

2 days ago

Drama unfolded in 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 settle for a draw before the start of the final hour of play.
There is a provision that allows both captains to shake hands and agree to a draw if they feel that the possibility of a result is impossible.
Having worked hard 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 end.
With both approaching their hundreds after having saved the match for India who started their second innings 311 runs in arrears, Jadeja and Washington exercised their rights to continue batting.
India coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Shubman Gill backed the decision to carry on 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 someone has the opportunity to get his first Test hundred, won't you allow him to do it? They weathered the storm. It's up to them," Gambhir said at the post-match press conference.
"If they want to play that way, that's up to them. I've got nothing more to say. I think both those guys deserved a hundred, and fortunately they got it." On his part, Gill said, "It was up to the boys and both of them were in their 90s, they deserved to score 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 want to score a hundred against Harry Brook?" Stokes asked sarcastically and all Jadeja said was "I can't do anything." Stokes said later, "We took the game as far as we could. As soon as draw looked inevitable, I wasn't going to risk my bowlers with the short 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.