R Ashwin Critiques England's Sportsmanship in Test Draw
Ashwin Calls Out England's Double Standards
Ravichandran Ashwin has voiced his concerns regarding England's apparent double standards during the conclusion of the fourth Test, where the cricket community largely supported India's choice to allow Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar to achieve their centuries rather than accepting the home team's handshake offer.
Tensions flared at the beginning of the last hour of play on Sunday when England's captain, Ben Stokes, proposed a handshake to the Indian batsmen, realizing that a definitive result was unlikely.
With Jadeja and Washington at scores of 89 and 80, respectively, they declined the handshake, leaving Stokes visibly frustrated. He later explained that he made the offer to protect his weary bowlers from potential injury.
Ashwin expressed his thoughts on his YouTube channel, stating, "Have you heard of double standards? They faced your bowlers all day, batted you out, and now that they are close to centuries, you want to walk off? Why should they?"
He further emphasized, "They have battled hard since morning, and now you want them to abandon their chance at a hundred?"
Ultimately, India declared the match a draw after both Jadeja and Washington reached their centuries, marking Washington's first Test century.
Both Ashwin and cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar suggested that India should have batted for the full 15 overs.
"If I were the Indian captain, I would have insisted on playing the entire 15 overs," Ashwin remarked.
Gavaskar shared a similar view on Sony Sports, stating, "I would have kept them batting and ensured the team remained on the field for the complete 15 overs."
As England players surrounded Jadeja, Stokes made a sarcastic comment, questioning whether he would score a Test hundred against Harry Brook, a part-time bowler.
Ashwin retorted, "You ask, 'Do you want to make a hundred against Harry Brook?' He has to earn his hundred; you could have brought in any bowler, but it was your choice to bring Brook, not ours."
He firmly stated, "These are Test runs; a century is earned, not given. Washington earned it, and so did Jadeja. Period."
Ashwin defended India's right to continue playing until both batters reached their milestones.
He pointed out two reasons for England's frustration: first, they wanted to avoid tiring their bowlers, and second, they seemed to think, 'If I'm not happy, you shouldn't be either.' That's not how cricket operates.
Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin criticized England for their lack of sportsmanship.
"India displayed remarkable resilience on the final day. Suddenly, when England realized they couldn't win, they wanted to halt the game because they were done playing," Haddin commented on the 'WillowTalk Podcast.'
"I appreciated India's stance; they earned the right to stay as long as they wished. They deserved their centuries. Just because things didn't go England's way, they started to complain."
Former England captain Alastair Cook also supported India's decision, suggesting that the momentum gained would benefit them in the upcoming fifth Test at The Oval, which they must win to level the series.
"It was the right choice for Jadeja and Washington to continue for the momentum they would gain from it," Cook stated on BBC's 'Test Match Special.'
"After being on the field for 140 overs, frustration can set in. I understand why England felt that way, but I also see India's perspective," he added.
Nasser Hussain, another former captain, described Stokes' decision to bowl Harry Brook after the handshake as "silly."
"I didn't have an issue with it, but England seemed to. They were fatigued and wanted to leave, but two players had worked hard to reach the 80s and 90s and wanted to secure their Test match hundreds," Hussain said on 'Sky Sports.'
"Stokes didn't need to bowl Brook and end up looking foolish. We often overemphasize these situations. They played well, and all credit goes to India."