"It brings out a lot..."- Washington Sundar reveals that the handshake controversy in Manchester fueled the Indian players for The Oval test

Washington Sundar scored his maiden test century in the Manchester test.

Indian all-rounder Washington Sundar has broken his silence on the handshake controversy with Ben Stokes that occurred during the Manchester test of the recently concluded Anderson-Gavaskar Trophy 2025. In the fourth test at Old Trafford between England and India, Ravindra Jadeja and Sundar helped the visitors to draw the game with their centuries.

Notably, England earned a 311-run lead after the first innings of the match. However, they failed to bowl out India in the second innings as the encounter ended in a draw. Jadeja and Sundar remained unbeaten on day five and set up an unbeaten 203-run partnership to power India to 425/4 in the second innings.

When Jadeja and Sundar were nearing their centuries in the final session, England skipper Stokes offered them to end the game with a handshake. However, both of them refused his offer and continued batting.

This irritated Stokes and his team, who exchanged a few words with both Indian all-rounders on the field. Later, Jadeja and Sundar agreed to end the match after reaching their centuries. Notably, England skipper’s behaviour drew criticism from many former cricketers and active commentators.

Washington Sundar opens up on the handshake controversy of the Manchester test

During a conversation with Wisden, Washington Sundar has opened up on the handshake controversy of the Manchester test. Sundar feels that such incidents are part and parcel of any sport. He also added that the incident fueled the Indian players, and they later outplayed the hosts in the final encounter.

“I mean, it just happens in any sport, doesn’t it? We’ve seen a lot of such things happen, not just in cricket, but in any sport. I mean, that’s how sport is. It brings out a lot. I think it was just an experience for all of us, honestly,” he said.

“One hundred per cent. You ask this to any player – that’s exactly what you would hear. Especially in Test cricket, you want to be challenged because that’s exactly what you expect every single day. And when the situation gets tough, the only thing that will help you get over it and come out successful is being really tough in your head,” Sundar added.

Meanwhile, with 284 runs at an average of 47.33 and seven wickets across four matches, Sundar delivered an impressive performance during the series. The all-rounder hammered one century and one half-century.

The five-match test series ended in a 2-2 draw following India’s brilliant comeback in the fifth test at The Oval. The Shubman Gill & Co. defeated England by six runs in a thrilling clash, defending a 374-run target.

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