Hussain blasts Stokes: 'He didn't have to bowl Brook, it looked a bit silly': Former England captain unhappy with unnecessary drama in drawn Manchester Test

Former England captain Nasser Hussain has criticised Ben Stokes for his "silly" antics towards the end of the fourth Test. The resilience shown by Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar made England bowlers toil hard at The Old Trafford, Manchester. The all-rounders tired out Stokes' bowling lineup and the captain asked for a draw which was refused by Jadeja as him and his partner were nearing their centuries. When Jadeja refused, Stokes was frustrated and handed the ball to Harry Brook.

Speaking to Sky Cricket, Hussain said he saw nothing wrong with Jadeja and Sundar waiting for their much-deserved centuries.

“I didn't have a problem. England seemed to have a problem with it, they were a little bit tired, tired bowlers, tired legs. They wanted to get off. The two lads have worked hard to get into the eighties, they wanted Test match hundreds. Stokes didn’t have to bowl Brook, and it looked a bit silly at the end there, but we made far too much of these things. They played well, they deserved a draw, they deserved to be there at the end,” he said.

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Hussain heaped praise on the India team for salvaging out a draw after the awful start of 0/2 on Day 4 in the opening over of the second innings. It was followed by a 188-run stand for the third wicket between Gill and Rahul, before Jadeja and Sundar sealed the fate, perfectly setting up for the series finale at The Oval.

“All credit to India. It's only England’s second-ever draw under this Bazball regime — the other one on this ground as well, because of rain. This one was a draw simply because England couldn’t roll over the two left-handers, who were brilliant,” Hussain concluded.

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Indian batters kept England in the field for 143 overs in the second innings. Jadeja, batting in the 90s, and Sundar, in the 80s, were approached by Stokes, who attempted to shake hands with the two all-rounders. However, they refused, leaving the England captain and his teammates baffled. There were still 15 overs left in the day when the incident took place.

Stokes then handed the ball to part-timer Harry Brook, who delivered some comical overs, allowing Jadeja to notch up his fifth career ton in no time, while Sundar brought up his maiden century just two overs later. Stokes said that he wanted to prevent any of his fast bowlers from getting injured as the Test was headed for a certain draw.

England are currently leading the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy 2-1 after the fourth Test, but with the grit and determination shown by the Indian batters, the series remains very much alive.