The fourth Test between India and England at Old Trafford ended in a gripping draw, but not without drama in the final hour. As the match moved beyond any realistic result, England captain Ben Stokes and Harry Brook offered to end the game early on mutual agreement. However, Indian batters Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar chose to continue batting in pursuit of their centuries. Following the game, rumours circulated suggesting that Stokes refused to shake hands with Jadeja after the match ended. While that claim has been debunked, the moment has sparked contrasting opinions from former cricketers.
Among those adding their voice to the debate is former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn. In a detailed post on X, Steyn acknowledged the complexity of the situation, writing, “This onion has many layers to it, and each one will make someone cry.” He continued, “The only issue I see here is the one thing people aren’t realizing, the batters weren’t playing for 100s, they were batting for a DRAW. That was the goal. Draw the game.”
Dale Steyn on X (Screengrab)
Steyn explained that once the draw was assured and a result was out of the question, accepting a handshake would have been the sportsmanlike thing to do. “Once that was accomplished, and a result was out of the question, a handshake was offered. That’s the gentlemanly thing to do right?” He added, “It’s not then the time to realize they safe and now say no we’d prefer some free milestones… although within the rules, just seems a little, well, odd.” Despite this, Steyn did credit the Indian batters for their performance. “That said, they did bat well, and maybe with the last hour approaching they should have been more aggressive in reaching those milestones. At least then, we could all agree, no team tried to outdo the other in this weird situation.”
Poll
Do you agree with Dale Steyn’s view that an early handshake should have been offered?
The final Test at The Oval now promises to be a charged decider, with both teams and fanbases fired up. India will look to pull off a win in the final Test while the hosts will look to seal the series in fashion with a win on the Test starting July 31.
