IND vs ENG: Gautam Gambhir goes blunt, questions England amid 'Handshake' row

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India pulled off a herculean effort to secure a stalemate at Old Trafford, denying England the opportunity to seal the series. But as the match was edging towards a draw, England wanted to finish the proceedings way before the stipulated time.

However, India declined the proposal, with Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar both nearing well-deserved centuries. The Indian camp chose to press on, prioritising personal milestones in a game that was already heading towards a stalemate.

Stokes appeared visibly displeased with the decision, but play continued regardless. The Indian batters capitalised on the opportunity, with both Jadeja and Sundar going on to complete their centuries.

Reacting to the incident, Gautam Gambhir staunchly backed India's decision to reject the premature handshake. He questioned whether England would have made the same choice had their own batters been within touching distance of individual landmarks. Gambhir asserted that such moments matter deeply to players and that India had every right to let their players finish what they had started.

"If someone's batting on 90 and another on 85, don't they deserve their centuries? Would England have walked off if their own players were close to milestones? No. Our boys weathered the storm. They earned those tons. We're not here to please anyone," Gambhir said at the post-match press conference.

"See, it's up to them. If they want to play that way, it's up to them. I think both of those guys deserved a hundred, and they got it," the India coach added.

Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja played a couple of herculean knocks, which keeps India alive in the Test series. Although they are trailing the series 1-2, Shubman Gill and company will have a chance to restore parity when the final Test starts from July 31 at the Oval.