Why did India refuse Stokes' offer for a draw? Gill explains I IND VS ENG - Best11.in

This is a historic moment, a spectacle where a team's captain offers a handshake to call the game a draw, saying, "Let's make it even," but the other team refuses. If the opposing team had a chance to win, fine, but with no chance of victory, they decide to continue playing. The captain who offered the handshake is left embarrassed, and this moment will become an iconic image of this series, discussed for years to come. This dramatic scene unfolded on the fifth day of the fourth Test match between India and England. At a point when it was certain no result would come, Ben Stokes went to offer a handshake. Jadeja and Washington Sundar were at the crease, with India’s scoreboard at 386 runs—Washington Sundar on 80 and Jadeja on 89, both nearing centuries. Stokes decides to offer a handshake when Jadeja needed 11 runs and Washington Sundar 20 runs for their centuries. He speaks to the umpires, and from the dressing room, our captain Shubman Gill is watching. The batsmen don’t respond, and if needed, Shubman Gill could have given instructions from the field, but he didn’t move. The game progressed, and from 386 for 4, India reached 425. Both players scored centuries before agreeing to a draw. Washington Sundar scored 101 runs off 206 balls, and Jadeja scored 107 runs off 155 balls. Only after achieving their centuries did they agree to the draw.

Stokes and England were far from pleased with this, showing some frustration. Some fielders could be heard asking, “How many more hours do you need?” Shubman Gill later explained why they refused Stokes’ offer for a draw. He said Jadeja and Sundar were playing brilliantly and deserved their centuries. That’s why they decided to continue the game and not accept the handshake for a draw. Gill clarified, “Jadeja and Sundar played excellently, and we believed they deserved their centuries, so we decided to keep playing.” Discussions about this will likely continue tomorrow.