India’s Test skipper Shubman Gill didn’t hold back while addressing the controversy surrounding England’s tactics during the third Test at Lord’s. He expressed clear disappointment over England’s decision to walk out late to bat at the end of Day 3.
Shubman Gill Slams England’s Lord’s Delay as Unsporting
Speaking ahead of the fourth Test in Manchester, Gill wrapped up the press interaction with strong words about England’s behavior. The conversation turned intense when asked about the tension seen during the previous game.
Gill, responding to repeated questions from the English media, chose to settle the matter. He said the English batters were significantly late to come to the crease when the final session was nearly done.
“Yes, a lot of people have been talking about it, so let me just clear the air, for once and for all, the English batsmen on that day, they had seven minutes of play left, they were 90 seconds late to come to the crease, not 10, not 20, 90 seconds late,” Gill stated bluntly.
Tactics Questioned as Gill Points to Lack of Spirit
According to Gill, while tactical slowing-down happens in cricket, this instance went a step too far. He admitted that even India might have tried to reduce overs if the roles were reversed, but said there’s a line teams shouldn’t cross.
“Yes, most of the teams they use this (delaying tactic), even if we were in a position, we would have also liked to play lesser overs, but there is a manner to do it, and we felt, yes if you get hit on your body, the physios are allowed to come on, and that is something that is fair. But to be able to come 90 seconds late on the crease, is not something that I would think, comes in the way of spirit of the game,” he explained.
The final over on Day 3 was bowled by Jasprit Bumrah, who gave Crawley a sarcastic round of applause for his delay. Meanwhile, Ben Duckett was seen exchanging words with the Indian fielders, raising tensions further.
Shubman Gill Calls Out Crawley During Heated On-Field Moment
In his first Test series as captain, Gill wasn’t one to step back. He even had words for Crawley during the match, urging him to show some fight instead of wasting time.
“Just leading up to that event, a lot of things that, we thought should not have happened, it had happened, and it’s not, I wouldn’t say it was something that I am very proud of, but there was a lead-up and build-up to that, it didn’t just come out of nowhere, and we had no intention of doing that whatsoever,” Gill explained.
He went on to say that the emotions got the better of the players, as things built up over time and pushed them to react.
“But it is just, you are playing a game, you are playing to win, and there are a lot of emotions involved, and when you see there are things happening, that should not happen, sometimes the emotions come out of nowhere,” he added.
England’s Stokes Responds Ahead of Fourth Test
Just before Gill’s press meet, England captain Ben Stokes made it clear that his team wouldn’t shy away from verbal exchanges if India brought the same energy again.
The stage is now set for a charged-up fourth Test in Manchester, with both teams carrying heat from Lord’s. Emotions, tactics, and pride are all likely to play a part once more.
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