Ben Stokes Opens Up On Hand Shake Drama With Jadeja

Ben Stokes, the England cricket captain, explained why he turned to his part-time bowlers during the final day of the fourth Test against India. With the match heading towards a draw, Stokes decided not to risk his main bowlers. He acknowledged that India's Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar played exceptionally well, even without reaching a century.

Stokes expressed admiration for Jadeja and Sundar's performance, stating their efforts would be praised regardless of whether they scored hundreds. He noted that their partnership was crucial in getting India out of a challenging situation. "The knock that those two played was very, very good," Stokes said. "The situation that India found themselves in there, with us opening the game slightly, that partnership was massive."

England's Strategy and Stokes' Decision

With an hour left to play and India at 386/4 after 138 overs, Stokes offered a handshake to Jadeja and Sundar as a gesture to agree on a draw. However, both Indian batsmen wanted to continue playing. Eventually, they completed their centuries before accepting the draw. Stokes remarked that achieving a hundred wouldn't have changed the fact that they helped save their team from defeat.

Stokes chose not to use his frontline bowlers since there was no chance of winning the match after India's strong comeback. He explained, "We were willing to take it as far as we possibly could and throw everything at them that we did." He added that risking key players wasn't worth it with a quick turnaround ahead.

Part-Time Bowlers Take Charge

The England captain handed the ball to part-timers Harry Brook and Joe Root during this period. He advised Brook not to do anything reckless due to their long stint on the field. "The only other person who actually has any bowling workload in them is Harry Brook," Stokes mentioned. "But I did have to say to him, please don't do anything stupid."

Stokes emphasised caution by instructing Brook not to strain himself or risk injury. The team had already been on the field for over 200 overs, so maintaining player fitness was crucial for upcoming matches.