Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has lashed out at England captain Ben Stokes for mocking Ravindra Jadeja during the fourth Test at Manchester. As Jadeja and Washington Sundar forged a marathon 203-run partnership for the fifth wicket, Stokes allegedly taunted Jadeja, saying, “Do you wanna get a hundred off Harry Brook and Ben Duckett?”
This partnership not only helped India recover from a tough spot but also saved the match, preventing a series defeat.
Ashwin Calls Out Double Standards in Sportsmanship
Ashwin took to his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’ to criticize Stokes‘ comments, questioning his sense of fairness and calling out his frustration.
“You are offering a handshake to draw the game, but you can’t let someone else be happy for reaching a milestone? How can this happen?” Ashwin asked.
He added that Jadeja didn’t request Stokes to hand the ball to part-timers, so the onus lies solely on the England captain for weakening the bowling attack.
“Boss, they played your Jofra Archer, Matthew Hoggard, Andrew Flintoff… So why shouldn’t they stay and get their hundreds?” he emphasized.
Ashwin Mocks Stokes’ ‘Spirit of Cricket’ Talk
Ashwin went further, taking a jab at Stokes’ often-mentioned “spirit of the game” rhetoric. The Indian spinner said if he were in Stokes’ position, he would’ve played all 15 overs instead of offering a draw.
“You are the brand ambassador for spirit of cricket? Then bowl Harry Brook from the start. Be the poster boy,” Ashwin said sarcastically.
The final Test of the series will now move to Kennington Oval, London, starting July 31, where the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 will be decided. England currently lead the series 2-1.
Also Read: ENG vs IND: Gautam Gambhir Says ‘Generations Will Talk About Pant’
