Legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar shared his thoughts on Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar refusing England captain Ben Stokes’ offer to shake hands late on day five of the fourth Test in Manchester.

This led to a mini meltdown by Stokes and England players, who verbally bullied Sundar and Jadeja for not being grateful enough to accept Stokes’ offer to shake hands and draw the Test match.

Both players were in their 80s, and India had recovered from a gigantic 311-run deficit, so they refused to settle for a draw without scoring well-deserved centuries.

The sight of the umpires caught awkwardly in the middle as Jadeja and Sundar pressed on divided many, with some even debating whether the Indian duo acted in the right 'spirit.' Many, however, criticized Stokes for forcing a draw after the two had battled tirelessly to earn it.

Later, India accepted the draw after both Jadeja and Sundar had completed their centuries.

Now that the dust has cleared, Sachin Tendulkar has spoken out about the topic, breaking his silence during his post-series review. Tendulkar questioned Stokes' approach to the duo, noting that it was not Sundar and Jadeja's responsibility to guarantee England bowlers were rested for the fifth Test.

“Washington scored a hundred, and Jadeja scored a hundred. Why is it not in the right spirit? They were playing for a draw. Before that, they battled it out when England was having a go at them and negotiated it all to bat brilliantly,” began Tendulkar as he reviewed the series in a video posted on Reddit.

“The series was alive, so why should they go ahead (and shake hands) and give rest to England bowlers and fielders? If England wanted to hand the ball to Harry Brook, it was Ben Stokes' choice. It wasn't India's problem. To me, it was fine. They were playing for a draw, not their hundreds. If they had gotten out when they came to bat, we could've lost. When they came out to bat, Harry Brook wasn't bowling, was he? So, why should England's bowlers be fresh for the 5th Test? Do you have an answer for that? No!” said Tendulkar.

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Tendulkar went on to say that both players understood their roles, giving the example of how Washington Sundar used his attacking skills when needed in the last Test match at the Oval.

“I am absolutely with the Indian team, be it Gambhir or Shubman or Jadeja or Washington, whoever decided. I'm 100 percent with them. In the last Test match, when it was time to accelerate, Sundar did that brilliantly, didn't he? Where it was needed to occupy the crease, he did that in the fourth test. And when it was needed to press the accelerator hard, he did that in the fifth. So, well done,” said Tendulkar.

The closely fought series between England and India ended 2-2, with England winning in Leeds and at Lord’s, while India won at Edgbaston and the Oval.