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Ben Stokes, England 'surrendered high ground' in Manchester with 'ugly scene': 'Visible cracks in their facade'
Legendary Australia batter Greg Chappell minced no words as he criticised Ben Stokes and England's antics at the end of the Manchester Test.
Legendary Australia batter Greg Chappell minced no words as he shredded Ben Stokes and England for the “facade” in the final few minutes of the Manchester Test, where India were able to eke out a draw, owing to fantastic batting performances by KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. In the final few minutes of the Manchester Test, Stokes threw in the towel as he approached Jadeja and Sundar to shake hands and call the game off, as only a draw was the possible result.
However, Jadeja and Sundar were batting on 89 and 80 respectively and were nearing their tons. Hence, it is no surprise that the duo chose to bat on and chase their respective hundreds. Stokes was rubbed the wrong way with India's refusal, and he told Jadeja, “You want to get a hundred against Harry Brook?”
Stokes then introduced Brook into the attack, and the latter made no effort to land the ball properly as he dished out one long-hop after another. Soon after, both Indian batters brought up their tons, and eventually, the players walked off the field.
“What should have been a celebration of Test cricket's enduring drama ended in an ugly scene: England's fielders aiming barbs and bouncers at India's centurions-in-waiting," Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNCricinfo.
“For a team that has traded on the breezy moralism of the Bazball era, the petulance was jarring. England, often quick to claim moral victories, inadvertently surrendered the high ground here. India, conversely, left Manchester buoyed not only by resilience but also by the visible cracks in the English facade,” he added.
‘Dogged resistance’
Chappell also lauded the Indian batters for pulling off a draw against all odds and running the England bowlers to the ground. He said that several years down the line, England's lack of composure will be remembered because of what Stokes did.
“At Old Trafford, India conjured a thrilling escape to draw the fourth Test, frustrating an English side that had sniffed victory but ran out of puff and poise. A century eluded KL Rahul, but Shubman Gill brought up his fourth for the series,” he wrote.
“Their dogged resistance, alongside the calm defiance of Washington Sundar and the ever-reliable Ravindra Jadeja, ensured India walked away with honours even - and perhaps even the upper hand. England's bowlers looked weary by the final session, but it was their loss of composure, not stamina, that will be most remembered,” he added.
India will take on England in the fifth and final Test at the Oval, beginning Thursday, July 31. The visitors will try to level the five-match series. England currently have a 2-1 lead.
