Controversy erupted during the final minutes of the Manchester Test as England skipper Ben Stokes' offer for a draw was refused by India’s Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar.

Having worked hard to earn a creditable draw, Jadeja and Washington, unbeaten on 89 and 80 respectively, exercised their rights to continue batting and went on to hit centuries before the visitors called it off.

In the post-match presser, India head coach Gautam Gambhir addressed the handshake row, asking that if the shoe was on the other foot, would England have done the same?

“If someone is batting on 90 and the other one is batting on 85, don’t they deserve a hundred? Would they have walked off? If someone from England side was batting on 90 and 85 and someone had the opportunity to get his first Test 100, wouldn’t you allow him to do it? They weathered the storm. It’s up to them. If they want to play that way, nothing more to say. I think both those guys deserved a 100 and fortunately they got it,” Gambhir told reporters.

Indian all-rounders’ refusal to shake hands an hour ahead of the stipulated time left the England captain frustrated.

“Do you want to score a hundred against Harry Brook?” Stokes asked sarcastically and all Jadeja said was “I can’t do anything.”

Stokes said later, “We took the game as far as we could. As soon as draw looked inevitable, I wasn’t going to risk my bowlers with the short turnaround (time of three days before the start of fifth Test).”

The visitors were well within their rights to carry on batting, but what seemed like a mark of dissent, Stokes brought Harry Brook into the attack and Jadeja smashed him for a six to reach his fifth Test ton.

Sundar also completed his maiden Test century against Brook before the two Indian batters decided to shake hands.

(With agency inputs)