ENG vs IND 2025: ‘Behaved like a spoilt kid’ – Sanjay Manjrekar tears into Ben Stokes after Manchester antics
"Ben Stokes would have had some inkling. He's been to India before. He would have known that the rest of the world doesn't think like he does," said Manjrekar.
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Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar took a dig at England captain Ben Stokes for his agitated behaviour after Indian batters Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar declined an early handshake to end the Manchester Test in a draw. Manjrekar likened Stokes' reaction in the closing stages of the match to that of a spoilt child, suggesting the England skipper went overboard with his mannerisms.
Stokes had offered to call off the game with an hour left in play, anticipating an inevitable draw. However, Jadeja and Sundar, on 89* and 80* respectively at the time, chose to continue batting. Both batters eventually reached their centuries against part-time England bowling, before the match concluded in a draw. Manjrekar, while praising the Indian duo’s determination, noted that Stokes' frustration was unnecessary.
"Ben Stokes would have had some inkling. He's been to India before. He would have known that the rest of the world doesn't think like he does. In the end, he behaved a bit like a spoilt kid - grumpy and not shaking hands at the end with Jadeja. I thought India, with Jadeja as the senior player out there, conducted themselves really well in that situation. The English players came off looking worse off," said Manjrekar on JioHotstar.
Very lucky to have got a battery of fast bowlers: Stokes
The cricketer-turned-commentator expressed that he was unsurprised by India’s decision to continue batting despite Stokes’ reluctance, highlighting the significant value placed on individual milestones within India’s cricketing culture.
"Having been part of the Indian cricket culture, for me it was a no-brainer that India would be staying there and continuing. They did the right thing from my standpoint. Two guys were close to a hundred and it was the right reward for the exceptional hard work that they had done," Manjrekar said.
Sundar and Jadeja shared an unbeaten 203-run partnership for the fifth wicket on Day 5 in Manchester, following the dismissal of captain Shubman Gill for 103. Sundar, promoted to No. 5, remained unbeaten on 101, while Jadeja finished not out on 107. Despite England’s failure to secure victory, Stokes earned his second consecutive Player of the Match award for his all-round performance, taking 5 wickets for 72 runs and scoring 141 runs off 198 balls.
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