Explained | Ben Stokes, Ravindra Jadeja handshake row - What exactly happened

Although Ben Stokes turned to the umpire for support, his plea went in in vain as Jadeja and Sundar opted to carry on with their batting, each ultimately reaching a well-deserved century.

In a thrilling turn of events, Team India snatched “victory” from the jaws of “defeat", securing a dramatic draw against England in the fourth Test at Old Trafford on Sunday in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

This match will be remembered for the courage shown by Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, who held their ground and scored centuries, guiding India from a shaky situation to stability. Both batters showed remarkable resilience as they declined England skipper Ben Stokes' offer to call off the fourth Test and settle for a draw before the final hour of play began.

After battling tirelessly, Jadeja and Washington (on 89 and 80, respectively) rejected Stokes’ proposal to draw the match hours before the scheduled time.

While Sundar and Jadeja completed their centuries, they were met with a few sharp verbal remarks from English players. After the match Stokes said, “That partnership was massive. They played incredibly well, and I don’t think reaching 100 not out would have felt much more satisfying than finishing on 80 or 90.”

"Do you want to score a hundred against Harry Brook?" Stokes asked sarcastically, and all Jadeja said was "I can't do anything." Stokes later said, "We took the game as far as we could.

As soon as the draw looked inevitable, I wasn't going to risk my bowlers with the short turnaround (time of three days before the start of the fifth Test)."

“The only other person who has got some bowling workload into them was Harry Brook (laughs), but I did have to tell him, don’t do anything stupid.”

However, back in the stands, both India coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Shubman Gill backed their players’ decision and stood by their decision to continue batting.

Although Stokes turned to the umpire for support, his plea went in vain as Jadeja and Sundar opted to carry on with their batting, each ultimately reaching a well-deserved century.

The refusal by the Indian batters reportedly frustrated Stokes. Sundar and Jadeja’s unbroken partnership of 203 wore down a fatigued England.

After the match, Stokes’ refusal to engage in the traditional handshake with the Indian pair only added to the sense of frustration, further fueling his disappointment over the missed opportunity for a win.

The visuals did not sit well with netizens, many of whom took to social media to criticise the poor sportsmanship displayed in what is often called the gentleman’s game.

With the series standing at 2-1, India head into the final Test with the hope of levelling the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The teams will now travel to The Oval, where the fifth and final Test begins on Thursday (July 31).