Hidden Reason Why India Didn’t Accept England’s Handshake!

There is an unofficial tradition in test cricket where the opposition captain can propose to end the game in draw in the fourth innings when a result does not look possible. This is exactly what Ben Stokes tried to Jadeja and Washington Sundar were grinding English bowlers in the fourth test match.

However, India refused to end the game and cited the reason that both Jadeja and Sundar were close to their centuries, which is by the game must go on. This became a controversial letter with Ben Stokes and the entire England team looking visibly frustrated with the same.

However, there is one hidden reason that stands behind India’s decision to not shake hands with England and end the game in advance.

This is the fact that India wanted to absolutely grind the England bowlers who were already tired after bowling relentlessly in the fourth innings. Incidentally, England bowlers ended up bowling in the range of 250 overs in the final innings, which would mean that their physicality would have been absolutely battered.

England tried to avoid this by going for an early draw, but this advancement was turned down by India. This is a smart move, considering the fact that English bowlers will be absolutely torn down with the excessive bowling load in the final innings of the fourth test match, and they will find it hard to recover on time by the start of the fifth test match on Thursday.

This is more of a strategic move from India to tire down the English bowlers, and this is exactly what Jadeja and Sundar did. It is certain that Ben Stokes would not have liked this, but it is all apart and parcel of the age old test Cricket.