Several Australian media outlets have torn into Ben Stokes’ England side, branding them ‘moral hypocrites’, after the team berated India for not immediately agreeing to a draw during the final hour of the fourth Test match at Old Trafford on Sunday.
India had brilliantly fought back to deny the hosts a series win in Manchester, but the match was soured after Stokes and his side appeared to become irritated by the tourists’ decision not to accept a draw following the drinks break in the final session.
Shubman Gill’s side had six wickets in hand and led by 71 runs with 15 overs left to play. Meanwhile, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja had both produced defiant performances with the bat to bring up scores of 80 and 89, respectively. Sundar was approaching his first Test ton, while Jadeja was 11 runs off his first century of the series.
The batsmen wanted to continue playing as they looked to achieve the milestones, however, Stokes and his team-mates were frustrated by the snub.
With the game resuming, the England skipper then brought batter Harry Brook in to bowl, an apparent protest at India’s decision to play on, while several members of the England side were overheard shooting barbs and sledges at the two batters.
‘You want to get a Test hundred against Harry Brook?’ Stokes was heard saying to Jadeja.
Ben Stokes (right) and England have been branded ‘moral hypocrites’ by several Aussie newspapers
The Bazballers were left irritated after India refused to shake hands for a draw during the final day of Sunday’s fourth Test at Old Trafford
Several players, including Zak Crawley (second from left) had dished up sledges to Ravindra Jadeja (left) and Washington Sundar, who had opted against shaking hands for the draw as they looked to both seal centuries
‘If you wanted to score a century, you should have batted like you wanted to get it.’
‘Just shake your hand. It’s embarrassing,’ Zak Crawley said to the Indian partnership.
Brook, who managed three runs in England’s first innings, struggled with the ball, and conceded 24 runs off three overs for an economy of 8.00.
Jadeja and Sundar both only needed 15 minutes to reach the landmarks, but they chose their shots diligently.
At one point, Sundar had advanced to 95. Brook threw down towards him and Sundar opted to play a block, infuriating the bowler.
‘F***ing hell Washy, get on with it. Get on with it mate,’ Brook said.
Players from around the field continued to chip at the batters, yelling: ‘Just hit a boundary’ and ‘How long do you need, an hour?’
Jadeja would smash Brook for six to bring up his ton, with the Englishman approaching the pair to offer up a handshake.
The two India players were too engrossed in their celebrations to notice Brook, who was left hanging.
Stokes remonstrated with the India players, who would go on to both score 100s before shaking hands for the draw
Multiple Australian outlets have lashed out at the Bazballers over the sour ending to the match, branding Stokes’ side ‘moral hypocrites’
India would then agree to the draw, but the controversial ending to the match has left some within the cricketing world divided.
Stokes has been blasted for a double standard by members of the Australian media, with cricket journalist Daniel Brettig of The Age, calling on England to ‘spare us the whinging’ .
‘The only thing embarrassing about Old Trafford was your tantrum,’ he wrote.
Brettig also poked a barb back at Brook, making reference to the Yorkshireman’s claims during the 2023 Ashes series, that England would claim a ‘moral victory’ if they won the final Test at The Oval during that series.
‘Another comprehensive moral victory for England, then,’ Brettig wrote.
Aussie outlet Code Sports also jumped on the same sledge.
‘Moral hypocrites England decide tons are anti-cricket,’ they wrote.
‘The new tough-talking, pot-stirring English cricket team is suffering from a baffling identity crisis on the eve of the Ashes tour, going into meltdown after two Indian batters had the audacity to tell them “no”,’ the outlet added.
Meanwhile, Courtney Walsh of Fox Sports, also blasted England for ‘claiming the moral high ground’ every time there was a contentious decision.
In an act of protest, the England captain brought batter Harry Brook (left) on to bowl
Jadeja (right) and Sundar (left) would both go on to celebrate striking centuries at Old Trafford
She claimed it was becoming a ‘sorry habit’
Walsh wrote: ‘The “Spirit of Cricket” is sleeping restlessly once again, tormented by an insufferable lot,’ before branding Stokes and his side ‘petulant’.
But it is not just the Aussies who have taken aim at England’s antics, with Sir Geoffrey Boycott branding England ‘gobby’ in his column in The Telegraph. He added he wouldn’t have walked off had he worked as hard as Sundar and Jadeja to bring up scores in the 80s.
But not all agreed. Ex-England batter Jonathan Trott appeared to claim that Stokes would have accepted the draw if things were the other way around.
‘I don’t think England would have had the personal milestones on their mind personally, that’s just my view. Maybe if somebody was close to getting it, their maiden century, it would have been a little bit different,’ Trott told Jio Hotstar.
‘You could tell by the way that Ben Stokes has reacted that if they were in the same seat, they probably would have shook the Indian captain’s hand if it was offered – if Shubman Gill went up to the English batsman and they were in the same position, they would have walked off.
‘That’s what Test cricket’s about. It’s played hard, it’s played fair, but there’s also a code and a sort of ethos that the game is played with equal respect for each other.’
England take a 2-1 lead into the final Test at The Oval which begins on Thursday.
