TV
A tense altercation broke out between Indian and English players during the final over of Day 3 in the Lord’s Test. The clash began when England opener Zak Crawley appeared to deliberately delay the game, potentially to ensure India couldn’t bowl more than one or two overs. First, Crawley halted Jasprit Bumrah’s run-up, claiming there was some distraction behind the bowler’s arm. Soon after, he summoned the team physio for treatment after being struck on the finger.
His tactic proved effective, as India managed to bowl just one over in England’s second innings. Shubman Gill didn’t take kindly to the delay and exchanged sharp words with both Crawley and Ben Duckett. The heated exchange escalated, with multiple players getting involved and fingers being pointed on the field.
Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar weighed in on the incident, suggesting that the Indian Premier League (IPL) might be a factor behind the ongoing friction. He noted that most English players do not participate in the IPL, unlike players from many other countries.
“When you see players from other nations who play in the IPL, there’s usually mutual respect and no hostility during international matches against India. But that's not the case with England. There’s frequent tension between Indian and English players,” Gavaskar observed.
He defended Crawley’s decision to call for medical attention, stating, “Pain is subjective—if he felt the need for a physio, that’s his call. Indian players should adopt similar tactics when needed; they usually don’t."
