As the fourth Test between India and England entered its final stretch at Old Trafford, England captain Ben Stokes offered a handshake to Indian batters Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, signaling a mutual agreement to end the game in a draw. However, with both batters on the cusp of their centuries, they turned down the offer, each responding with a subtle smile.
“Do You Want a Hundred off Brook?”: On-field Banter Adds to Drama
The tension briefly sparked amusement as Ben Stokes and Ben Duckett were seen teasing Jadeja from the field, with Stokes asking,
“𝑫𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒂 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒇𝒇 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝑩𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒌?” 𝑱𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒋𝒂, 𝒖𝒏𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅, 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒚: “𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑰𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒖𝒑 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏.”
The exchange delighted spectators who rarely witness such lighthearted moments in a competitive Test match.
Soon after a drinks break, Jadeja launched a lofted six off Harry Brook to bring up his century, followed by Washington Sundar reaching his maiden Test ton an over later — a proud moment for the 25-year-old.
Gill Defends Decision: “They Deserved a Century”
Once both batters secured their hundreds, the teams finally shook hands to conclude what had been a thrilling five-day contest. “We thought they deserved a century there,” Indian skipper Shubman Gill said at the presentation ceremony, backing the call to delay the draw.
Despite the match ending in a draw, England still lead the series 2-1, having secured victories at Edgbaston and Lord’s. The decider will be played at The Oval starting July 31, promising a grand finale to a fiercely fought series.
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