The Manchester Test seemed all but done with just over an hour left on Day 5. The result was obvious as there was no way either team could win.
But what unfolded in those final overs sparked debates that went beyond the field and took many back to a famous Test match from 1983, when Zaheer Abbas led Pakistan off the field against India under similar conditions.
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In the latest drama at Old Trafford, Ben Stokes offered a handshake to end the fourth Test early. But Team India declined. What followed brought back echoes of that fiery India-Pakistan rivalry from decades ago.
What led to tension between India and England in the final hour at Old Trafford?
With India batting at 386/4, already 75 runs ahead, and just 15 overs left in the day, the Test was headed for a sure draw.
England captain Ben Stokes, perhaps seeing little point in continuing, walked over and suggested ending the game early.
But India were not ready. Both Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar were closing in on their hundreds. Jadeja was into the 90s, Sundar not far behind.
Clearly, the Indian camp wanted them to finish their personal milestones before wrapping up. So, India politely refused the offer. The match went on. But tempers didn’t stay cool for long.
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English players, especially Harry Brook and Zak Crawley, looked annoyed. There were verbal exchanges on the field.
Even the stump mic picked up a few remarks. Stokes reportedly quipped, “You want a Test 100 against Harry Brook? You should have batted like that earlier.”
How did the situation mirror Zaheer Abbas' 1983 walk-off moment against India?
Back in 1983, something similar happened. During a Test match in Bangalore between India and Pakistan, the match was drifting towards a draw.
But India’s Sunil Gavaskar was batting in the 90s and wanted to complete his century.
Pakistan skipper Zaheer Abbas, on the other hand, wasn’t happy about extending play with no result in sight. In protest, he walked his team off the field, leaving Gavaskar and Anshuman Gaekwad standing alone at the crease.
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The umpires, unsure about how to handle it, continued the match after talks with the local cricket officials and managed to convince Zaheer to bring his team back.
Gavaskar later got to his hundred, just as Jadeja did this week in Manchester. The mood, then and now, was one of simmering tension. Both times, personal milestones clashed with team philosophies.
This controversy could shape the final Test at The Oval on July 31
While no laws were broken, the spirit of the game was once again up for debate. Just like in 1983, one side felt the match should end early, the other believed players deserved their moment.
With the fifth Test set to begin at The Oval on July 31, this late drama has only added spice.
England still lead the series 2-1, but the energy and defiance shown by India at Old Trafford show they are very much alive in the contest.