Sachin Tendulkar ridicules Ben Stokes for his handshake drama in Manchester Test

Sachin Tendulkar, batting legend, has not pulled his punches as he slammed Ben Stokes for his drama over Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar refusing to shake his hands for a draw in the fourth test in Manchester, when they were on the brink of centuries.

In a type of outburst, Ben Stokes and the England players angrily abused Jadeja for refusing to shake hands before leaving. They even referred to this as going against the game's spirit.

Fans, past cricket players, and commentators were split on whether Jadeja was correct to decline Stokes' offer after the incident, which sparked a heated discussion on social media.

Why would they? - Sachin Tendulkar speaks on Ben Stokes being unhappy after a handshake was refused

The legendary Sachin Tendulkar has finally spoken out on the matter, stating that Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja had every right to keep playing.

"Washington scored a hundred, and Jadeja scored a hundred. Why is it not in the right spirit? They were playing for a draw. Before that, they battled it out when England was having a go at them and negotiated it all to bat brilliantly," began Tendulkar as he reviewed the series in a video posted on Reddit.

"The series was alive, so why should they go ahead (and shake hands) and give rest to England bowlers and fielders? If England wanted to hand the ball to Harry Brook, it was Ben Stokes' choice. It wasn't India's problem. To me, it was fine. They were playing for a draw, not their hundreds. If they had gotten out when they came to bat, we could've lost. When they came out to bat, Harry Brook wasn't bowling, was he? So, why should England's bowlers be fresh for the 5th Test? Do you have an answer for that? No!" said Tendulkar.

Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar completed their hundreds, and soon after, they shook hands with England players, and the match ended in a draw.

Absolutely with the Indian team: Sachin Tendulkar

India batted more than 140 overs to earn a draw in the game, and it was a stellar performance from the batters, even as Rishabh Pant was out of the question to come back and bat.

Some former cricket players believed that Jadeja and Sundar had no reason to bat any longer because the series' goal, a draw, had been achieved. On the issue, however, Tendulkar wholeheartedly supported the Shubman Gill-led side.

"I am absolutely with the Indian team, be it Gambhir or Shubman or Jadeja or Washington, who decided. I'm 100 percent with them. In the last Test match, when it was time to accelerate, Sundar did that brilliantly, didn't he? Where it was needed to occupy the crease, he did that in the fourth test. And when it was needed to press the accelerator hard, he did that in the fifth. So, well done," said Tendulkar.

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