The dramatic conclusion of the fourth Test at Old Trafford between India and England may have ended in a draw. Still, it’s sparked a spirited debate in the cricketing world, especially after Team India declined England captain Ben Stokes’ offer to shake hands in the final hour of play. The controversy intensified when Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar continued batting to complete their centuries, rather than accepting the draw when the match’s outcome had already been decided.
Among the voices weighing in was legendary South African pacer Dale Steyn, who supported Ben Stokes’ stance and criticised India’s decision to continue batting once the draw was secured. Steyn acknowledged the complexity of the situation but emphasised that Test cricket has always had an unwritten code of mutual respect—something he felt was slightly bent in this case.
“This onion has many layers to it, and each one will make someone cry,” Dale Steyn remarked, adding that the point of India’s fourth innings was purely to save the Test. Once that goal was achieved and the match was drifting to an inevitable draw, Steyn argued that the “gentlemanly” thing to do would have been to accept the handshake. “It’s not the time to realise they’re safe and say, ‘Now we’d prefer some free milestones.’”
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Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar stitched an unbeaten 203-run stand after India had slipped early in their second innings. Though Chris Woakes had landed early blows and England sensed a win, the Indian duo stood tall, frustrating the English attack with a stoic resistance. However, once the final hour approached and the win was mathematically out of reach, Stokes walked over with an offer of a draw—which Jadeja and Sundar declined in favor of pushing for their individual centuries.
Shamo this onion has many layers to it, and each one will make someone cry. The only issue I see here is the one thing people aren’t realizing, the batters weren’t playing for 100s, they were batting for a DRAW. That was the goal. Draw the game. Once that was accomplished, and a…
— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) July 28, 2025
The decision clearly riled the England camp. Stokes looked visibly irritated, and England’s fielders turned to light-hearted sledging, before bringing in part-time spinner Harry Brook to close out the final overs. Eventually, both Indian batters reached their centuries and shook hands with the English players.
Steyn, responding to fellow South African cricketer Tabraiz Shamsi on social media, clarified that while India was within its rights to continue batting, the intent behind doing so mattered. “Although within the rules, it just seemed a little odd,” he said. “That final hour isn’t reserved for personal goals. As they say, there’s no ‘I’ in team.”
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However, in a humorous aside, Steyn admitted that he too might have done the same if he were batting on 90 with a teammate: “It would take a tank to pull us off the field! Haha.” Ultimately, Steyn acknowledged that no single player decides when to stop batting—but in the spirit of the game, perhaps the moment called for grace over personal glory.
Well I don’t think any one individual calls the shots for how long someone can bat, it’s just the rule that teams can shake with a hour left.
The game was Eng going for a win, India going for a draw, time says it’s pointless to play on, neither TEAM will win/lose so handshakes…— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) July 28, 2025
