England captain Ben Stokes is facing severe backlash for his reaction during the drawn Manchester Test, and India’s star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin didn’t hold back. In a sharp critique on his YouTube channel, Ashwin took aim at Stokes for getting frustrated when Team India chose to wait for Washington Sundar’s century instead of declaring the innings, after Ravindra Jadeja reached his hundred.

Ashwin lashed out at what he called a "double standard" attitude. “They faced your bowling all day—Jofra Archer, Andrew Flintoff, Hoggard. They took you out of the game. And now, when they are close to their centuries, you suddenly want them to finish the match? Why should they? You brought in Harry Brook to bowl, not us. We’ll score runs off whoever you send. That’s your call, not ours.”

Ashwin didn’t stop there. He continued, “According to the rules, a match ends only if both captains agree. Stokes didn’t want his bowlers to get tired. He was frustrated and out of ideas. He cried inside, so he thought he’d make us cry too. If I were the captain, I’d have played all 15 overs. This is disappointing. Stokes should’ve asked his bowlers to bowl underarm like Greg Chappell if he was so upset. Don’t talk about the spirit of cricket after making such decisions.”

India Eyes Series-Leveling Win

Despite the draw in Manchester, England leads the 5-match series 2-1. The final Test, beginning July 31 at Kennington Oval, will be crucial for India. After a strong team performance in the fourth Test, Indian fans are hoping their team will bring their best to level the series.