Want a hundred against Brook? Of course! Ashwin slams Stokes for 4th Test fiasco

India Today

12 hours ago

R Ashwin slammed Ben Stokes and England for the fiasco they created by trying to end the Manchester Test early and get a draw. The game was heading for a stalemate on Day 5 as Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar's partnership ended the chances of a win for the hosts and saved India. However, when both men were heading towards their hundreds, Stokes decided to extend the handshake and call for early stumps.advertisementJadeja and Sundar both rejected the offer and continued to bat on and this frustrated Stokes, who was seen asking the former if he wanted to score a hundred against a part-time bowler like Harry Brook. Jadeja and Sundar went on to slam their hundreds. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin slammed England for their double standards. The former spinner said that both men had bravely fought whatever the hosts dished out at them and it was Stokes' mistake to give the ball to Brook."Have you heard the term double standards? What is double standards? You shake hands and then you say I'm frustrated. You also don't make a hundred, you also cry and go away."
"Since morning, he played your Archer, played your Matthew Hoggard, played Darren Gough, played Andrew Flintoff—played all your bowlers, whoever you guys gave, he played them—and now when it's going towards a draw, both sides, and after putting in full hard work since morning he has reached here—and he should leave the hundred and walk away?""And what was your question? 'You want to make a hundred against Harry Brook?' No brother, he wants to make a hundred. Please bring Steve Harmison. Bring Flintoff. He didn't say no. You're giving bowling to Harry Brook—that's your mistake, not ours," said Ashwin.'I would have told them to bat the whole 15 overs'Ashwin pointed out that the early stumps can be called during the mandatory overs when both captains feel that a result isn't possible. The former spinner said that while one of the reasons why England wanted an early end was to protect their players, the second one was out of pure frustration.Ashwin didn't find it to be a valid reason for calling for an early stop and said if he was the Indian skipper he would have batted the remaining 15 overs as well."If both captains believe that the game cannot head towards the result, you both can shake hands after the mandatory overs and you can call it a draw. One captain wanted to draw the game. He wanted to close out.""Why did he want to close out? Two things. He didn't want to tire his bowlers. Okay, fine. Second is: I'm frustrated, I'm not happy, you also shouldn't be happy. You also shouldn't make a hundred."advertisement"These are the two pointers. Second pointer doesn't come under any rule. On the first pointer, India was on the right side. Actually, if I was India, I would've stood and played the whole one hour. As a captain, I would have said, play all the fifteen overs," said Ashwin.Ashwin also said that Jadeja and Sundar were well within their right to go get hundreds and the both deserved it."That statement of his—You want to get a hundred against Harry Brook? Of course he does! These are Test runs. He wants to get it, and he deserves it," said Ashwin.Stokes was slammed by pundits for his actions after the match.- EndsMust Watch