BEN STOKES ‘S CONTROVERSY HITS HARD

By Anshika Khera

Ben Stokes stirred up a huge controversy on the 5th day of the 4th Test against India last week. He tried to persuade Ravindra Jadeja to shale hands and call the match a draw but the All-rounder refused to do so. It followed an ugly jibe from Stokes on Jadeja and Washington Sundar , who were on cusp for centuries , for attacking England part timers.

Former India head coach Greg Chappell , in his criticism on Stokes and his players , labelled their antics as childish and shocking.

“What should have been a celebration of Test cricket’s enduring drama ended in an ugly scene: England’s fielders aiming barbs and bouncers at India’s centurions-in-waiting,” Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNCricinfo. He added , as quoted, “ For a team that has traded on the breezy moralism of the Baseball era , the petulance  was jarring. England, often quick to claim moral victories, inadvertently surrendered the high ground here. India , conversely,left  Manchester buoyed not only by resilience but also by the visible cracks in the English facade.”

“At Old Trafford, India conjured a thrilling escape to draw the fourth Test, frustrating an English side that had sniffed victory but ran out of puff and poise. A century eluded KL Rahul, but Shubman Gill brought up his fourth for the series. Their dogged resistance, alongside the calm defiance of Washington Sundar and the ever-reliable Ravindra Jadeja, ensured India walked away with honours even – and perhaps even the upper hand. England’s bowlers looked weary by the final session, but it was their loss of composure, not stamina, that will be most remembered,” said Chappell.