The final day of the fourth Test at Old Trafford saw a moment of confusion, tension and eventually, quiet drama. With Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar closing in on centuries and England running out of ideas, Ben Stokes offered a draw with more than 15 overs still left in the game.
But the Indian pair refused. They weren’t done yet. Jadeja was in the 90s, Sundar approaching three figures as well.
And so, they played on; completed their centuries and only then did both teams shake hands. The match ended in a draw but not without sparking a stir.
Some in the England camp were clearly unimpressed by India's refusal to agree to an early draw. The incident - particularly Stokes' offer and India's decision to keep batting led to a post-match exchange of views both on and off the field.
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Ben Stokes reveals reason behind handshake offer
Speaking after the match, Stokes defended his call - making it clear that player workload was the key concern.
"I think we took the game as far as we could with our frontline bowlers. I was never going to risk any of my bowlers with the short turnaround we have and the workload we've been through. As soon as the draw became inevitable, it was always going to be a handshake," Stokes said at the presentation.
Stokes' point was simple: with the match all but done and another game around the corner, there was no point in pushing tired bowlers to chase a remote chance. He also won the Player of the Match - having scored 141 runs in the first innings and taken 6 wickets across both the innings.
Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar deny England a win
India had been under pressure for most of the Test - especially after being 0/2 in the second innings. But the fifth-wicket stand between Jadeja and Sundar turned the tide.
They added over 200 runs together and batted through two sessions. They made sure England didn't get a sniff at a late win.
The draw means the series stays alive with India trailing 2-1 heading into the final Test. And thanks to the two left-handers - India still have a shot at levelling the series.