The third day (July 12) of the gripping Lord's Test match between India and England concluded with intense drama. With just 6 minutes remaining for play to end on the third day, England commenced their second innings. During these crucial 6 minutes, the Indian team had the opportunity to bowl two overs. However, England's opener Jack Crawley devised a strategy to waste time, allowing only one over to be bowled.
Right from the start of Jasprit Bumrah's over, Jack Crawley began wasting time. He complained about movement behind the sight screen and delayed taking strike twice. Furthermore, he sustained an injury while defending the fifth ball. This agitated Indian captain Shubman Gill, as he engaged in a heated exchange with Crawley, even hurling some expletives in anger. The atmosphere grew tense as Ben Duckett stepped in to support Crawley, while Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, and other Indian players aimed taunts at the English batters.
Reacting to the incident, former England batsman Jonathan Trott shared his insight. He compared Shubman Gill to former Indian captain Virat Kohli, who is esteemed for his aggressive style. Trott believed that Gill's approach was contrary to the spirit of the game.
Speaking on Geo Hotstar, Jonathan Trott remarked, 'Gill displayed a bit of acting. As a captain, you set the tone. Pointing fingers and getting confrontational resembled a former captain (Kohli). I don't believe this aligns with the sportsman spirit. Sometimes, you need to rise above and display exemplary gameplay.'
Indian Veteran Criticizes English Tactics
Former Team India wicketkeeper Farokh Engineer also weighed in on the matter. In a conversation with RevSportz, Farokh Engineer stated, 'English players might label it professional attitude, but I'd call it cheating. It was a complete strategy to waste time. They clearly did not want to play another over, and they showed it transparently. A bit of cunning would have been acceptable, but such overt dishonesty is not. Our batsmen never resort to such tactics.'
Farokh Engineer also criticized England's 'Bazball' strategy. He commented, 'This Bazball is merely a hype. It might work against teams like Bangladesh, Afghanistan, or Sri Lanka, but against India? If England truly embodied 'Bazball', India would have won the series by now.'
