Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif slammed Ben Stokes for his decision to end Day 5 of the fourth Test match early when veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar ended England's hopes of winning.
The incident happened when the India Jadeja and Sundar were only a few runs away from the century marks, England captain Ben Stokes approached his Indian counterparts with an offer to shake hands and call it a day, but Jadeja refused to budge and settle for a draw. After this decision, skipper Stokes and the whole English unit looked completely unsettled, firing a barrage of remarks at the all-round duo and putting in a half-hearted effort while bowling, as their key players sought some rest. Mohammad Kaif, who featured for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) during his playing days, took his Instagram to slam Ben Stokes for his decision.
"Ben Stokes ne Beizzati karwali (Ben Stokes has lost respect) because of one moment when he wanted to stop the game. Ravindra Jadeja was batting on 90 while Washington Sundar was on 80. You should not have asked to stop the game," Kaif said in a clip on Instagram.
"Why would we want to do that? You weren't able to bowl out India, had nearly two days to do that. You weren't able to win. I don't understand what he was trying to do by getting the game to stop.
"Ben Stokes bowled so well, scored a century and everybody was lauding him. It takes years to earn respect and one moment to lose it. Today was that moment for Ben Stokes when he lost respect."
As the fourth Test match between India and England ended in a draw and the fifth Test match will take place from July 31 to August 4 at The Oval. England are currently leading 2-1 after the fourth Test and the upcoming clash will be the last chance for the Shubman Gill-led side to draw the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025.