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"England's opening batsmen came out 90 seconds late," said Gill, commenting on the banter at Lord's.
"England's opening batsmen came out 90 seconds late," said Gill, commenting on the banter at Lord's.
Shubman Gill defends India's heated clash with Crawley and Duckett at Lord's. England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett ensured they faced only one over at the end of the third day.
India captain Shubman Gill spoke about England’s behaviour during the third Test at Lord’s, saying he was unhappy that their openers walked out to bat 90 seconds late, which reduced India’s chance to bowl more overs before stumps. He clarified that he had no issue with the physio attending to Zak Crawley, but delaying play in that way didn’t feel fair or within the spirit of the game.
Tensions grew after that moment, and India reacted strongly on the field. England responded with their own intensity during India’s innings, especially when Washington Sundar came out to bat. England’s coach Brendon McCullum was even seen encouraging his players to be more vocal after Washington had said India would win comfortably.
Gill admitted the emotions spilled over but said they weren’t intentional, and that several things had led to that point. He also mentioned that while he wasn’t proud of what happened, it wasn’t without reason players were reacting to moments they felt weren’t right.
England captain Ben Stokes said his team didn’t plan to start sledging, but the pressure of a big series naturally causes things to heat up. He explained that England wouldn't back down if confronted and suggested most teams would respond in the same way.
Stokes confirmed that McCullum may have told players they were being too nice, and the team agreed it was time to show more fire. Still, he emphasised they didn’t want to lose focus or get distracted by verbal battles they just wouldn’t shy away from standing their ground.
The fourth Test at Old Trafford promises even more intensity, with both teams looking to gain an edge not just with skill, but with mindset and attitude.