Former England batter Jonathan Trott slams Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar for ignoring handshake; claims England would’ve walked off in similar situation.
New Delhi: England captain Ben Stokes has received support from his compatriot Jonathan Trott amid criticism of Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar for not shaking hands at the end of the fifth day of the fourth Test match. Trott accused Jadeja of putting “personal achievements” above the result of the match. When the Manchester Test was heading towards a draw, Stokes offered a handshake to end the game. But Jadeja, who was on 90, and Sundar, who was around 80, turned down the offer as they wanted to achieve their personal achievements.
Stokes’ anger and Brook’s funny bowling
Stokes got angry at Jadeja and Sundar’s refusal and an argument broke out between the two teams. Stokes then handed the ball to Harry Brook, who bowled in a funny manner. However, after this the Indian batsmen completed their respective milestones in the next 15 minutes.
Trott clarified, said ‘results’ are important in the ‘bazzball’ era
Speaking to Jiostar, Jonathan Trott said that if the situation was reversed and Shubman Gill offered a handshake, Stokes would have accepted it. He said, “It is clear from Ben Stokes’ behavior that if that situation was reversed, he would probably shake hands with the Indian captain and leave the field.”
Trott further said, “In the baseball era, results matter more, not individual achievements.”
Sanjay Manjrekar called Stokes a ‘spoiled child’
However, former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar did not agree with Trott. He called Stokes a “spoiled child” and said that he made a mockery of the game. Manjrekar said, “Okay, he was angry that the players did not leave the field, but when your main bowlers are tired, making Brook bowl funny is an insult to the game.”
Stokes clarified, cited quick change as the reason
Speaking to BBC after the match, Stokes said that he wanted to finish the match quickly so that his bowlers could rest before the next Test. He said, “We tried everything possible, but a time came when there was only one result left.”
Stokes also added, “I could not risk my frontline bowlers in such a situation, especially when there is very little time for the next Test.”
