Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar said that England captain Ben Stokes "behaved like a spoiled kid" towards the end of day five of the Old Trafford Test, in which India secured a hard-fought draw.
The closing stages of the Old Trafford Test saw Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja lock-in to stave off England from taking the series-win. After KL Rahul (90) and captain Shubman Gill (103) fell before lunch on day five – having rescued India from 0-2 on day four following conceding a 311-run first-innings deficit – the onus shifted to India’s middle order, which included an injured Rishabh Pant, to salvage an unlikely draw.
Sundar, promoted to No. 5 for the first time in Tests, rose to the occasion alongside Jadeja in a gritty rearguard action, steering the match into the final session. With Sundar (80) and Jadeja (89) nearing centuries, and India holding a 75-run lead, a draw looked inevitable.
With 15 overs of play remaining, England captain Ben Stokes looked to settle for the draw, which can be agreed between players at any point in the final hour of the day. However, Jadeja and Sundar signalled their intent to continue batting, with both of them nearing centuries, which visibly frustrated Stokes.
In response, England deployed part-timers in Harry Brook – who served up a string of dollies – with Root continuing at the other end. Three overs later, Jadeja reached his century with a six. Then, in the 143rd over, Sundar brought up his maiden Test hundred off Brook’s bowling. Once those milestones were ticked off, India’s batters finally shook hands to call it a day.
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India’s refusal to accept an early draw and Stokes’ animated reaction to it divided opinions.
Trott: If England were in the same seat, they would have shaken hands
Former England batter Jonathan Trott said on air that if the roles were reversed, England would have accepted a draw if it had been offered. He suggested England would have prioritised the result over "personal milestones".
"Don’t forget what Ben Stokes said there, that only one result was the option: that was the draw," said Trott on Jio Hotstar.
"So in his mind, the game's done, you know, let's get off and let's get down to London type thing and have another good crack at it, two good teams who've been toe to toe in this series, and I think that's all he's thinking of."
Trott added: "I don't think England would have had the personal milestones on their mind personally; that's just my view. Maybe if somebody was close to getting it, their maiden century, it would have been a little bit different for the England side.
"I don't know, but you could tell by the way that Ben Stokes has reacted that they, if they were in the same seat, they probably would have shook the Indian captain's hand if it was offered – if Shubman Gill went up to the English batsman and they were in the same position. They would have walked off, but you know that's just as Sanjay said, different cultures, and both teams have to respect each other.
"That's what Test cricket's about. It's played hard, it's played fair, but there's also a code and a sort of ethos that the game is played with equal respect for each other.
"So, you know, it's a disappointing maybe, but that's emotions and what we played sport for and why we watch it."
Manjrekar: Stokes was behaving like a spoiled kid
Manjrekar responded strongly to Trott's comments, arguing Stokes could’ve handled the situation better during the final passage of play.
"Jonathan Trott is confident that Ben Stokes in that position would have called his team off, now that is a difference in culture," Manjrekar noted.
"But we don't know because we're just imagining that to happen. But we have to take Jonathan's word for it, so it's a difference in culture. Okay, fine, he's unhappy that the players haven't walked off, he’ll have to manage his overs carefully with main bowlers already exhausted from bowling long spells whole day. But throwing lollipops in the air and showing a little bit of grumpiness out there, that was Ben Stokes behaving like a spoiled kid.
Alastair Cook wants the focus to be on Sundar and Jadeja's centuries, not on India's refusal to accept a draw at the start of the final hour.#ENGvIND #Cricket pic.twitter.com/mguZlJ4Z8U
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) July 27, 2025
"I can understand him being surprised India wanted to continue. That was his question: 'If you wanted a hundred against Harry Brook, why not get it against the main bowlers?' And that was his grievance. But everything won’t go as per your wishes – he should’ve handled that better.
"It was Ben, the hero, the champion that I admire, on that occasion behaving like a spoiled kid," Manjrekar concluded.
Sundar and Jadeja’s unbeaten 203-run fifth-wicket stand at Old Trafford resulted in England’s second draw under Stokes’ captaincy. The other instance was again at Old Trafford in the 2023 Ashes. With India trailing 1-2, the fifth and final Test now offers them a chance to level the series.
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