Former Australia batter Brad Haddin slammed England players for trying to force Team India to end the game on Day 5 of the fourth Test in Manchester. Drama unfolded on Sunday when Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, batting on 89 and 80 respectively, declined England skipper Ben Stokes’ offer to settle for a draw before the start of the final hour. Team India later declared their innings after both Jadeja and Sundar got their respective hundreds and the match ended in a draw.
Haddin stated that England had no right to force the Indian players to declare and Jadeja and Sundar did the right thing by going for their centuries.
“It’s interesting at the end of that Test match because India were two for none. So England are up and about. They thought they were going to win the Test. And that was an unbelievable partnership. Gill once again, KL Rahul was outstanding. And as the game went on, and India showed tremendous fight, unbelievable, the application they showed to bat,” Haddin said on LiSTNR Sport on YouTube.
“Then, all of a sudden, it got to a situation where England said they can’t win, so let’s stop the game. So everything’s got to stop because England are done playing. I like what India did, mate, they earned the right to stay out there as long as they need to. They had the right to get a hundred. And just because it didn’t go England’s way and they didn’t get the answer that they wanted, all of a sudden, they’re not happy,” he added.
Haddin further warned England that Australia will be looking at them in the upcoming Ashes.
“They started to get verbal. Duckett and Crawley both reacted in a way I think Australia can really have a look at. But if things don’t go England’s way and they don’t get the rub of the green, all of a sudden, it’s everyone else’s problem. So well done to India for staying out there,” said Haddin.
“Well done for getting a draw. When England were dropping all those catches, they gave enough chances to win the Test match. That’s what they should be looking at, not that India decided they wanted to stay on a little bit longer because they’d earned the right,” he added.
