A GRIPPING third day of the third Test at Lord’s ended in controversy on Saturday (12) as England opener Zak Crawley was accused of time-wasting, with tempers flaring between players from both sides.
What began as a tense cricketing contest turned into a verbal battle, as England and India pointed fingers at each other over questionable delays late in the day.
With just six minutes left on the clock, India were expecting to bowl two overs after matching England's first-innings total of 387 all out, thanks to a century from KL Rahul and fifties from Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant.
Instead, only one over was bowled as Crawley twice pulled away from his stance and then summoned the physio after a short ball from Jasprit Bumrah brushed his glove. The move, seen by many as deliberate stalling, sparked fury from India’s captain Shubman Gill.
Broadcast microphones picked up Gill swearing in frustration, prompting an apology from Sky Sports. The on-field tension escalated as Crawley and Gill exchanged heated words, with England’s Ben Duckett also stepping in.
The players jabbed fingers and shared angry glances, turning the cricket field into a scene more reminiscent of a football sideline spat.
India struck early on Sunday (13), with Mohammed Siraj removing both Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope, before Zak Crawley was caught in the gully off Nitish Kumar Reddy. England slipped to 56 for 3.
England bowling coach Tim Southee attempted to deflect the criticism, pointing out India’s own delays earlier in the match. “I’m not sure what they were complaining about when Gill was lying down getting a massage yesterday,” he remarked. “Both sides showed a lot of energy, which made for great drama.”
Crawley’s fitness will be assessed overnight, with Southee offering only a dry, “Hopefully he’ll be alright to carry on tomorrow.”
India’s KL Rahul, who scored his 10th Test century and second at Lord’s, was less than surprised. “Two overs is a no-brainer with six minutes to go,” he said. “But it was a bit of theatrics. Everyone knows what was going on.”
Former England skipper and BBC pundit Michael Vaughan described Crawley's tactics as “as good a piece of time-wasting as I’ve ever seen.” He added, “India can’t complain—Gill was down with a hamstring strain yesterday. But what great drama and what a great day.”
Earlier, Rahul and Pant had built a solid 141-run stand before Pant was run out for 74, undone by a sharp direct hit from Ben Stokes. Rahul followed soon after, caught at slip for exactly 100 off Shoaib Bashir. Bashir, however, left the field with a suspected finger injury shortly after dismissing the centurion.
Jadeja steadied India’s innings with another crucial knock of 72, his third consecutive fifty, while new batter Nitish Kumar Reddy added 30 before being caught behind. A late 50-run partnership with Washington Sundar helped India pull level with England, before Sundar fell for 23.
England’s reply before stumps was brief but eventful. Crawley and Duckett finished the day unbeaten at 2-0, but not before reigniting tensions with Indian players. Shubman Gill mockingly applauded Crawley’s call for a physio, clearly unimpressed by what he saw as gamesmanship.
(Agencies)
