"Not India's problem" - Batting great slams Ben Stokes' conduct on Day 5 of ENG vs IND 2025 4th Test

Batting great Sachin Tendulkar slammed England captain Ben Stokes's behavior on Day 5 of the fourth Test against India in Manchester. The game ended in a draw.

On the final day, India had to save the game in their second innings. They were four down and in a tricky position. All-rounders Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja then stitched together an unbeaten 203-run stand for the fifth wicket.

With no result in sight, Ben Stokes had offered to shake hands and end the game with 15 overs remaining. However, India decided to bat for a little longer as the two all-rounders were close to their hundreds. Stokes was furious and unimpressed by the decision. He even bowled Harry Brook towards the end.

Sachin Tendulkar argued that the visitors did nothing wrong. He reckoned that with the series alive, it was also tactically fine to tire the England fielders and bowlers.

"People talk about the fourth Test, that hundred by Washington and Jadeja. Was it in the right spirit? Why not? They were playing for a draw. Earlier, England was going at them, and all that. If the batsman is batting till the end of play, both of them, yes, they got hundreds," he said on his YouTube channel. (28:44).

"But according to me, the series was alive; why should they go in and give rest to the England fielders and bowlers, if they want Harry Brook or Ben Stokes to bowl, that’s their choice, not India’s problem," he added.

"So to me, it was absolutely fine that they were playing for the draw, not the hundred. When they came to bat, if they’d gotten out at that time, we could have lost the Test match. So I am absolutely with the Indian team, whether it’s Gambhir, Shubman, Jadeja, or Washington," he continued.

Sundar remained unbeaten on 101 off 206 balls with nine fours and a six. Notably, it was his maiden Test hundred. On the other hand, Jadeja was unbeaten on 107 off 185 balls with 13 fours and a six.

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Sachin Tendulkar calls Indian all-rounder 'underrated'

Sachin Tendulkar was impressed with the way Ravindra Jadeja batted throughout the series. He called him 'underrated' and reflected that he does not get enough credit.

"Ravindra Jadeja, I would say underrated player, the way he contributes, he often doesn’t get enough credit. In fact, as a batter, he’s been remarkable in this series, and not just in this series, if you notice, he’ll come and rattle the opposition," he said.

The batting great also reckoned that Jadeja had an organized game plan as far as his batting was concerned. He placed the all-rounder among those who played a crucial role for India in the series.

"If you see his game plan, he’s very organized in his head, he knows which shots he can play, which he should leave, he’s clear and uses his experience brilliantly. For me, in this tour, if there’s someone who’s played a crucial role, Jadeja is right up there," he added.

Jadeja was India's third-highest run-getter. The left-hander scored 516 runs from 10 innings at an average of 86. He struck an unbeaten hundred along with five half-centuries. The all-rounder was a consistent performer with the bat throughout.