At the end of the fifth exciting day of cricket play, the fourth Test match between England and India ended in a draw at Old Trafford cricket grounds in Manchester. Once the game had been called off every player was expected to shake hands and walk off to the respective dressing rooms which is the normal practice. Nevertheless, England captain blatantly disrespected the Indian batters on the crease as both Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar showed respect by stretching out their hands.
The moment sparked immediate outcry, with fans and experts alike questioning The Three Lions captain’s move, raising concerns about the spirit of cricket, which the Englishmen themselves continue to hype every time a decision goes against them. The video of the event went viral on social media, since something like this from a host team captain was disheartening to say the least.
Watch the video of the incident here:
benstokes refused to handshake jadeja and washii
😭😭#INDvsENGTest #INDvsEND pic.twitter.com/6RiL9eropB
— sachin gurjar (@SachinGurj91435) July 27, 2025
At the post-match presentation, Ben Stokes praised the Indian duo for putting up a superb 203-run partnership for the fifth wicket, which not only got India out of difficulty but also rescued the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025. England now leads the series 1-2, with another game at The Oval scheduled for July 31.
“As the game progressed, the wicket sort of became easier to bat on. There was variable bounce for the right-handers, but not much for the left-handers. Heap load of credit to the way Washington [Sundar] and [Ravindra] Jadeja played there.”
Ben Stokes
Coming into the fifth Test, India will be desperate for a win in order to return home with a series tie. If the Shubman Gill-led team fails to beat England, they will suffer their first defeat in the World Test Championship cycle.
