Tempers flare between Shubman Gill and Zak Crawley during final moments of Day 3 as India and England remain locked at 387; KL Rahul calls the drama “expected and tactical”
London [UK], July 13:
India’s senior opener KL Rahul shed light on the tense and dramatic scenes that unfolded at the close of Day 3 during the third Test against England at Lord’s, where both teams had posted identical first-innings totals of 387. As the sun set on a hard-fought day, emotions boiled over in the final over bowled by Jasprit Bumrah, leading to a heated exchange between India captain Shubman Gill and England opener Zak Crawley.
India had just finished their innings, matching England’s total of 387, and had only minutes left to bowl a couple of testing overs before stumps. England’s openers—Crawley and Ben Duckett—walked in to face the music.
The tension escalated when Crawley moved away from Bumrah’s delivery mid-run-up, pointing out movement behind the bowler. But Gill and Bumrah appeared unconvinced, leading to Gill shouting at Crawley from the slip cordon. The next ball struck Crawley on the glove, prompting him to call for the physio—triggering a verbal spat. Players from both sides gathered as Gill and Crawley exchanged heated words, each pointing fingers.
KL Rahul, who was nearby, offered his perspective on the confrontation:
“What happened at the end is just part of the game. As an opening batter, I know exactly what was going on. It’s mind games, pressure—everyone knows it. But opening batters will understand the last five minutes better than most.”
The incident was unusual for many fans who witnessed Gill animated and fired up—a side of him not commonly seen. But Rahul wasn’t surprised, saying:
“Yes, I’ve seen him fired up before. We knew we had six minutes left and wanted to bowl two overs. Any team would want to. It’s just theatrics—we were pumped. Getting a wicket there would’ve been ideal.”
Rahul added that such pressure moments are part of Test cricket strategy:
“It’s always tough for batters to come in after a long day on the field. We were hoping for a breakthrough. Even though we didn’t get a wicket, the energy remains. The game is back to zero now—we’ll regroup and push hard on Day 4.”
Despite the exchange, England ended Day 3 at 2/0, with Crawley on 2 and Duckett yet to score. As the Test heads into its final two days, both teams are locked in a high-stakes deadlock, setting up an exciting finish.
India, buoyed by fiery moments and fierce competition, will be aiming to grab ten wickets on Day 4 to swing momentum in their favour. Rahul concluded:
“We’ll go out there and enjoy ourselves in the field while chasing those ten wickets.”