Former England spinner Monty Panesar has slammed Ben Stokes for his on-field conduct during the fourth Test against India at Old Trafford, calling the England captain’s gesture “classless” after he tried to prematurely call a draw.The incident took place during the final session of the Test when Stokes approached Ravindra Jadeja for a handshake, indicating the match should end in a draw. However, Jadeja refused the offer and went on to complete his fifth Test century. His partner, Washington Sundar, also reached a significant milestone, scoring his maiden Test hundred.
The two batters stitched together an unbeaten 203-run partnership, rescuing India from a precarious 222/4 just before lunch in their second innings and steering them toward safety.Reacting to Stokes’ mid-match move, Panesar strongly criticised the England captain’s behaviour and suggested it contributed to the negative perception of the England team.“Well, it lacked class. It was being, in England, we’re being a bit pompous as well, so it didn’t reflect good on them as well. They’re good ambassadors of cricket, but I suppose you can see the reasons why people hate England because of the way they behave. That was a very classless gesture from Ben Stokes (on handshake controversy),” Panesar told IANS on Tuesday.
Following the contentious moment, both Jadeja and Sundar went on to complete their centuries and eventually agreed to a draw after a stunning fightback that also featured key contributions from KL Rahul (90) and captain Shubman Gill (103).Despite the draw, England still lead the five-match series 2-1. India will aim to level the series in the fifth and final Test, which begins at The Oval in London on Thursday.