London, UK – The third day of the 3rd India vs. England Test at Lord’s concluded with a fiery exchange as India skipper Shubman Gill launched an expletive-laden verbal attack on England batters Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett. The incident unfolded in the final ten minutes of play, with the first innings scores level, as frustrations mounted over perceived time-wasting tactics by the English side.
Confrontation and Controversial Moments
The tension began when Crawley pulled away from the crease four times before facing the third ball from Jasprit Bumrah. Gill, believing England was deliberately slowing down play, exchanged heated words with both Crawley and later, Ben Duckett. The situation escalated further when Crawley was hit on the glove by a delivery from Bumrah, prompting him to call for the physio to check his hand. During this break, Gill was seen sarcastically clapping and gesturing towards the pavilion, even as Crawley’s injury was being attended to. The day’s play concluded dramatically with Bumrah beating Crawley with a seaming away delivery.
Gavaskar Links Animosity to IPL Participation
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar weighed in on the animosity, suggesting that the limited participation of English players in the Indian Premier League (IPL) is a significant contributing factor.
“There is a reason why this happened. That’s because not a lot of England players are competing in the IPL. That’s my thinking,” Gavaskar stated on air after Day 3. He highlighted that prominent English players like Joe Root and Ben Stokes did not play in the IPL. “What has happened with other teams is that a lot of their players are in the IPL. They have mixed with the Indian players, travelled with them. They shared changing room.”
Gavaskar concluded that this lack of shared experience contributes to the lingering “animosity, bordering on being brutal, between some players,” unlike teams whose players frequently interact in the IPL. He cited instances of confrontation, such as Jofra Archer bowling to Yashasvi Jaiswal, as examples of the intense rivalry that persists between India and England due to their limited intermingling in franchise cricket.
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