“Why should they go ahead and give rest to England bowlers?” - Indian legend slams ‘handshake’ controversy in ENG vs IND 2025 4th Test

Former Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar defended Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar for playing on despite England skipper Ben Stokes accepting a draw and offering a handshake in the fourth Test at Manchester. The visitors were in dire straits on Day 4 at 0/2, trailing England's first-innings total by 311 runs.

However, a brilliant 188-run third-wicket partnership between KL Rahul and Shubman Gill gave India a realistic chance of pulling off a draw. Following the dismissals of the duo, Jadeja and Sundar joined hands at 222/4 with still over two sessions remaining on the final day.

Unwavered by the situation, the pair thwarted the England bowlers, racing to their 80s, when England captain Stokes accepted their fate and conceded a draw by offering a handshake to the two Indian batters to walk off the field. Yet, the batters rejected the request and continued the bid to complete their centuries.

The move did not go down well with Stokes, who intentionally bowled part-timers Harry Brook and Joe Root to belittle the duo's achievements.

Reacting to the entire incident at the end of the series, Tendulkar said on Reddit (via Hindustan Times):

"The series was alive, so why should they go ahead (and shake hands) and give rest to England bowlers and fielders? If England wanted to hand the ball to Harry Brook, it was Ben Stokes' choice. It wasn't India's problem."

He continued:

"To me, it was fine. They were playing for a draw, not their hundreds. If they had gotten out when they came to bat, we could've lost. When they came out to bat, Harry Brook wasn't bowling, was he? So, why should England's bowlers be fresh for the 5th Test? Do you have an answer for that? No!"

It was Jadeja's first century of the series after four half-century scores and Sundar's maiden Test ton.

"I am absolutely with the Indian team" - Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar provided his nod of approval to whoever decided on Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar batting on in the final day of the Manchester Test. The visitors eventually finished on 425/4 and walked away with the draw to keep the series alive at 1-2.

"I am absolutely with the Indian team, be it Gambhir or Shubman or Jadeja or Washington, who decided. I'm 100 percent with them. In the last Test match, when it was time to accelerate, Sundar did that brilliantly, didn't he? Where it was needed to occupy the crease, he did that in the fourth Test. And when it was needed to press the accelerator hard, he did that in the fifth," said Tendulkar (via the aforementioned source).

Following the Manchester debacle, India went on to win the final Test at the Oval by six runs and finish the England tour with a 2-2 result.

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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran