“Don’t they deserve a hundred?” - Gautam Gambhir slams Ben Stokes & Co. amid handshake controversy

In the dying moments of the fourth Test between England and India, the handshake controversy caught the limelight as England captain Ben Stokes tried to call off the game with 15 overs to go on Day 5. 

However, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, who were nearing their respective centuries, wanted the game to go on as the duo was eager to get to their respective milestones. Speaking on the same, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir came up with a strong reaction, slamming the English captain and players.

“If someone is batting on 90 and the other one is batting on 85, don’t they deserve a hundred? Would they have walked off? If someone from England side was batting on 90 and 85 and someone had the opportunity to get his first Test 100, wouldn’t you allow him to do it? They weathered the storm. It’s up to them. If they want to play that way, nothing more to say. I think both those guys deserved a 100 and fortunately they got it,” Gambhir told reporters after the Manchester Test.

Stokes was quick to introduce Harry Brook and Joe Root into the attack, as he doesn’t want to risk his pacers. Eventually, Jadeja and Sundar reached their respective centuries in the gap of a few overs.

Here’s how the conversation took place between Ben Stokes and Ravindra Jadeja:

Ben Stokes to Jadeja and Sundar: “Do you want to score a hundred against Harry Brook?”

Ravindra Jadeja: “I can’t do anything.”

After the conclusion of the match, Stokes stated that they took the game as far as they could, and with the draw inevitable, he doesn’t want to risk his bowlers with the fifth Test, starting in four days’ time.

“We took the game as far as we could. As soon as draw looked inevitable, I wasn’t going to risk my bowlers with the short turnaround,” Stokes told after the match.

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