ENG vs IND: Ravi Shastri REACTS to Shubman Gill’s heated spat with Zak Crawley at Lord’s (WATCH)
Synopsis
Ravi Shastri backed Shubman Gill after his heated exchange with Zak Crawley at Lord's, calling the 'argy-bargy' part of the game. The spat began over Crawley’s time-wasting, escalated with sarcastic claps, and drew criticism from Tim Southee.
Former India captain and all-rounder turned commentator, Ravi Shastri, shared his thoughts on Shubman Gill’s fiery exchange with Zak Crawley in the third Test at Lord’s on Saturday, July 12.
In the final over of Day 3, the tensions flared up when Shubman Gill accused Zak Crawley of deliberately ‘wasting time’ and tactically disrupting the rhythm of Jasprit Bumrah, who was at his menacing best. On the third delivery of the final over, Crawley backed out of his stance when Bumrah was running in to bowl. This infuriated Shubman Gill, who abused the England opener for his time-wasting tactics.
The tensions got further intensified when Shubman Gill and Indian players sarcastically clapped at Zak Crawley, who was hit on his hand by Jasprit Bumrah’s delivery. However, Gill checked on Crawley, who called on the team’s physio for the treatment, but the England opener was disappointed by the Indian players' sarcastic reaction and had a heated verbal exchange with the Team India captain.
Ben Duckett and the on-field umpires intervened to diffuse the situation, as the tensions flared under the evening sky at Lord’s, bringing an intense end to Day 3 of the third Test.
Tim Southee calls out Shubman Gill’s hypocrisy
The fiery exchange between Shubman Gill and Zak Crawley became a major talking point.
Speaking at the press conference after Day 3, England’s bowling consultant Tim Southee expressed his disappointment over the Team India skipper’s act, stating that he received treatment on the field on Day 2.
“I'm not sure what they were complaining about when Shubman Gill was lying down getting a massage in the middle of the day yesterday,” Southee said.
“It's obviously part of the game when you're near the end of the day. It's an exciting way to finish the day," he added.
Ravi Shastri comes out in Shubman Gill’s defence
Ravi Shastri gave a befitting reply to the England camp for their dig at Shubman Gill’s heated exchange with Zak Crawley. Speaking to Sky Sports at the start of Day 4 at Lord’s, the former India captain bluntly stated that he would have done the same had he been in Gill’s shoes.
“If I were wearing the Indian hat, I would have done all that. We call that a tamasha. All that is allowed, and you want all that,” Shastri said.
“You can't just have 'Good morning...good evening' and go home. A little bit of argy-bargy is okay as long as you don't cross the line,” he added.
Meanwhile, after bundling out India for 387 and leveling the first-innings total, England posted a total of 2/0, with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett batting on 2 and 0, and took a slender 2-run lead heading into Day 4.
The hosts will have an arduous task of building a competitive lead on a challenging Lord’s pitch against a disciplined Indian bowling attack, as the match heads into the crucial penultimate, with all three results possible.