'England had no right to dictate terms,' Haddin slams Stokes over Lord’s Test controversy

Former Australian cricketer Brad Haddin on Wednesday criticised England captain Ben Stokes for his conduct during the so-called 'handshake controversy' following the fourth Test against India at Lord’s.

Speaking on an Australian YouTube podcast, Haddin aimed at Stokes for suggesting a premature end to the match when India was in control.

The controversy arose after Indian all rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar declined Stokes’ offer for a draw, choosing instead to continue batting and go on to score centuries.

"It’s interesting at the end of that Test match because India were two for none. So England were up and about. They thought they were going to win the Test. But that was an unbelievable partnership," Haddin said.

He praised the resilience shown by the Indian side, particularly by Shubman Gill and KL Rahul, who provided strong support.

"As the game went on, India showed tremendous fight, unbelievable application with the bat," Haddin added.

The former wicketkeeper asserted that England had no right to dictate the terms of play once the outcome was not in their favour.

"Then, all of a sudden, it got to a situation where England said they can’t win, so let’s stop the game. So everything’s got to stop because England are done playing.

"I like what India did, they earned the right to stay out there as long as they needed," Haddin said.

He supported Jadeja and Sundar’s decision to complete their personal milestones.

"They had the right to get a hundred. And just because it didn’t go England’s way and they didn’t get the answer they wanted, all of a sudden they’re not happy," he concluded.