Controversy Over Cricket Sportsmanship: Has England Lost Respect in World Cricket?

By Abhishek Kumar

During the 4th Test match between India and England in Manchester, there was a big argument about sportsmanship.

On the last day of the match (July 27), it was clear that the match would end in a draw. England captain Ben Stokes offered a handshake to stop the match early.

But Indian batters Ravindra Jadeja (on 89) and Washington Sundar (on 80) were close to scoring centuries (100 runs), so they refused the handshake and kept playing to try and reach their personal milestones.

England players, especially Ben Stokes, got upset. Stokes made sarcastic comments like:

You want a hundred against Harry Brook?

Harry Brook is not a regular bowler – he was bowling just to finish the match quickly.

Reactions from cricket world:

Ravichandran Ashwin (India) Said England showed “double standards” India had every right to continue and let the batters get their centuries.

Brad Haddin (Australia) Said India earned the right to play on. He criticized England’s poor behavior.

Shubman Gill Said the players worked hard and deserved to reach 100.

Sunil Gavaskar & Dinesh Karthik: Supported India’s decision.

Mohammad Kaif: Said Ben Stokes lost respect by behaving rudely.

Michael Vaughan (former England captain) Also pointed out England could’ve handled it better.

Nasser Hussain: Said England shouldn’t complain, and calling a draw early was not necessary.

Test cricket is a game where players are expected to show respect and fairness. But some fans and experts felt that England did not show respect, just because Indian players wanted to complete their centuries.

Normally, both teams agree to end the match early with a handshake. But this time, India decided to keep playing, which is completely allowed in the rules.

Final Result:

The match ended in a draw, but the talk was more about the fight over sportsmanship.

Now, everyone is looking forward to the 5th Test at The Oval, where India will try to make the series 2–2 (right now, England is leading 2–1).