Ben Stokes: Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar hit out at England captain Ben Stokes over his agitated behavior after Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar turned down his offer to end the Manchester Test. Manjrekar described Stokes’ grumpy behavior in the closing moments of the Test like that of a spoilt child.
Ben Stokes: There was plenty of drama in the closing stages of the Manchester Test on Sunday, July 27 after Stokes offered to agree for a draw before the start of the last hour. However, Jadeja and Sundar decided to carry on batting since they were on 89 and 80 respectively. The game eventually ended with both batters easing to three figures against part-time England bowlers.
Ben Stokes: The post-match exchange between Jadeja and Stokes was not a friendly one. Sharing his thoughts on ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar opined that the England captain went overboard. Reacting to the events that transpired towards the end, he said:
Ben Stokes: “Ben Stokes would have had some inkling. He’s been to India before. He would have known that the rest of the world doesn’t think like he does. In the end, he behaved a bit like a spoilt kid – grumpy and not shaking hands at the end with Jadeja. I thought India, with Jadeja as the senior player out there, conducted themselves really well in that situation. The English players came off looking worse off.”
Scored a hundred, saved the Test, farmed ♾ aura! 💁♂#RavindraJadeja didn't hesitate, till the end 👀#ENGvIND 👉 5th TEST | Starts THU, 31st July, 2:30 PM | Streaming on JioHotstar! pic.twitter.com/cc3INlS07P
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 27, 2025
The 60-year-old added that he was not surprised with India continuing to bat despite Stokes‘ reluctance, pointing out to the importance given to individual milestones in India’s cricketing culture. Manjrekar elaborated:
“Having been part of the Indian cricket culture, for me it was a no-brainer that India would be staying there and continuing. They did the right thing from my standpoint. Two guys were close to a hundred and it was the right reward for the exceptional hard work that they had done.”
Team India coach #GautamGambhir saw it before anyone else. 😎
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 27, 2025
His team made it real with four gutsy knocks that saved the match.#ENGvIND 👉 5th TEST | Starts THU, 31st July, 2:30 PM | Streaming on JioHotstar! pic.twitter.com/O4v17ffYwI
Sundar and Jadeja added an unbeaten 203 for the fifth wicket in Manchester on Day 5 after skipper Shubman Gill fell for 103. Sundar, promoted to No. 5, returned unbeaten on 101, while Jadeja was undefeated on 107.
England skipper Ben Stokes wins second consecutive Player of the Match award
While England had to be content with a draw against India in the fourth Test in Manchester, Stokes won his second consecutive Player of the Match award. The all-rounder picked up 5-72 in India’s first innings and slammed 141 off 198 balls when England came out to bat.
In the previous Test at Lord’s, the 34-year-old bagged the Player of the Match award for picking up five wickets and registering scores of 44 & 33. Meanwhile, the fifth and final Test of the series will be played at The Oval from July 31 to August 4
