The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy is on the boil, and tempers are flaring—not just on the field, but off it too. After India held on for a memorable draw in the fourth Test at Old Trafford, former India cricketer WV Raman did not mince his words when reacting to Ben Stokes’ post-match frustration.
Stokes was visibly irritated after Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar refused to walk off without reaching their individual centuries, despite England’s offer to end the game early. But WV Raman believes the issue is far deeper than a simple misunderstanding—he sees it as a reflection of English cricket’s age-old pattern of behavior.
“We’ve always seen English cricketers whine and whinge. There’s nothing new. So why are you even surprised?” Raman said bluntly in an interview with Hindustan Times.
India’s Young Guns Stand Tall
India’s performance in Manchester was nothing short of heroic. Down and out on paper, the team—missing big names like Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli—showed immense grit. Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, and young Washington Sundar led the charge in the second innings.
Jadeja and Sundar both notched centuries. Sundar, in particular, was phenomenal, stitching a 203-run unbeaten stand with Jadeja. Rahul, too, came agonizingly close to his hundred, falling short by just 10 runs.
It was this fighting spirit that seemed to rattle England more than the scoreboard.
Raman Exposes England’s Double Standards
Ben Stokes’ complaint was that India didn’t accept England’s offer to end the game early and instead chose to go for personal milestones. But Raman wasn’t buying the excuse.
He pointed out that England had already rested fast bowler Brydon Carse for most of the match and bowled part-timers like Harry Brook and Joe Root. If the intent was to protect bowlers, that had already been addressed. He argued that Jadeja earned his century by surviving against the top bowlers.
“He’s not getting a 100 against Brook; he’s got a 100 against England,” Raman emphasized.
Kuldeep, Bumrah, Kamboj — What’s Next for India?
Raman also weighed in on India’s selection puzzle ahead of the final Test at The Oval. He said that Kuldeep Yadav could be a smart addition given the dry pitches and his strike rate of 4 wickets per Test. However, the decision to play three spinners may come down to balance.
On Jasprit Bumrah’s availability, Raman urged caution, saying his workload needs to be carefully managed to avoid long-term injury.
Rookie Anshul Kamboj’s debut didn’t make headlines, but Raman defended the youngster, blaming a flat pitch and suggesting a short break could help rather than hurt his career.
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