England captain Ben Stokes, who will not play in the fifth and final Test of the five-match series for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, addressed the “handshake controversy" that became the focal point of the fourth match at Old Trafford.
Ahead of the Oval Test, Stokes was asked if he had any regrets about how things ended in Manchester.
Stokes responded: “No regrets. When you’re not in the field for 250 overs, you gain some understanding of both sides. Jadeja and Washington played incredibly well up to that point, and I understand why they wanted to stay out there for their hundreds."
“As I said at the end of the game: fair enough. I wasn’t going to bowl my bowlers in a situation where we couldn’t win and risk injuries. India and we are both past it. Let’s not focus too much on a 20-minute period in what’s been a great series," he added.
Controversy erupted during the intense fourth Test when Indian batters Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar declined Stokes’ offer to call off the match and settle for a draw before the start of the final hour.
Despite their hard-earned efforts to secure a draw, with Jadeja on 89 and Washington on 80, they refused Stokes’ proposal, leading to his frustration.
Stokes, along with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, had attacked India’s decision to continue playing, with the England captain sarcastically asking, “Do you want to score a hundred against Harry Brook?"
Jadeja had responded, saying, “I can’t do anything." During his press conference, Stokes defended his decision to offer the handshake, while Jadeja, with a smile, remained composed and asserted India’s right to continue batting as per the rules.
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The match did eventually end in a draw as the Indian batters reached their landmark three-digit figures.
Hosts England lead the series 2-1 after four intensely fought Test matches that have also had their fair share of controversies.
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