‘You also don’t make a hundred, you also cry and go away’
Tempers flared and reputations clashed on Day 5 in Manchester — and Ravichandran Ashwin wasn't going to let it slide. The Indian spinner tore into Ben Stokes and England for trying to shut down the Test early, accusing them of hypocrisy after Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar turned the tables with heroic hundreds.
Both batters were closing in on personal milestones when Stokes, sensing the inevitable, offered the customary handshake to call for early stumps.
But Jadeja and Sundar refused — determined to bat on and notch up well-earned centuries. The refusal seemed to irk Stokes, who was seen questioning Jadeja about wanting to reach a hundred ‘against a part-time bowler like Harry Brook.’
Jadeja and Sundar did exactly that, both reaching three figures in style. And Ashwin, speaking on his YouTube channel, lashed out at England's actions and Stokes’ apparent frustration.
‘Have you heard the term double standards? What is double standards? You shake hands and then you say I’m frustrated. You also don’t make a hundred, you also cry and go away,’ said Ashwin.
‘Since morning, he played your Archer, played your Matthew Hoggard, played Darren Gough, played Andrew Flintoff — played all your bowlers, whoever you guys gave, he played them — and now when it’s going towards a draw, both sides, and after putting in full hard work since morning he has reached here — and he should leave the hundred and walk away?’
‘And what was your question? 'You want to make a hundred against Harry Brook?' No brother, he wants to make a hundred. Please bring Steve Harmison. Bring Flintoff. He didn’t say no. You’re giving bowling to Harry Brook — that’s your mistake, not ours,’ he added.
Ashwin then addressed the context behind declaring early stumps in a Test. He acknowledged that such decisions can be made during the mandatory overs if both captains agree there's no result possible. But in this case, Ashwin felt England’s motives were suspect.
‘If both captains believe that the game cannot head towards the result, you both can shake hands after the mandatory overs and you can call it a draw. One captain wanted to draw the game. He wanted to close out.’
‘Why did he want to close out? Two things. He didn’t want to tire his bowlers. Okay, fine. Second is: I’m frustrated, I’m not happy, you also shouldn’t be happy. You also shouldn’t make a hundred.’
‘These are the two pointers. Second pointer doesn’t come under any rule. On the first pointer, India was on the right side. Actually, if I was India, I would’ve stood and played the whole one hour. As a captain, I would have said, play all the fifteen overs,’ he said.
Backing Jadeja and Sundar’s decision to continue batting, Ashwin insisted they were absolutely justified in going for their individual milestones.
‘That statement of his — 'You want to get a hundred against Harry Brook?' Of course he does! These are Test runs. He wants to get it, and he deserves it,’ Ashwin said.