India captain accused Zak Crawley of time-wasting, but England’s bowling coach Tim Southee insisted Shubman Gill had no grounds to complain.
England Slams Shubman Gill’s Time-Wasting Claims After Day 3 Clash
England called out Shubman Gill’s hypocrisy following his heated confrontation with opener Zak Crawley during the final over of Day 3 at Lord’s. While the India captain accused Crawley of wasting time, England’s bowling coach Tim Southee insisted Shubman Gill had no grounds to complain.
The Indian team showed visible frustration after Crawley disrupted play twice in the opening over of England’s second innings, which began with just six minutes remaining after India matched England’s first-innings total of 387.
The tension started when Crawley pulled away on the third ball from Jasprit Bumrah, citing movement near the sight screen. Gill, clearly agitated, shouted at Crawley to “Grow some f***ing balls.” Moments later, Crawley called for medical attention after being struck on the glove. Indian players responded with sarcastic applause, and Gill engaged in a fiery exchange with the England batter.
Reacting to Gill’s accusations, Southee fired back at the 25-year-old, pointing out that Gill himself had spent several minutes receiving treatment during India’s fielding innings on Day 2. “It’s always exciting to see both sides animated towards the end. 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. 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,” the former New Zealand pacer told media after Day 3 in London.
Trent Southee Reflects on Crawley’s Injury and Series Intensity Amid Lost Overs
Trent Southee revealed that Zak Crawley would be “assessed overnight” for the injury he sustained during the tense final over, emphasizing that the incident highlighted the “energy” of the series.
“Both sides have played some good cricket and in a good spirit, and tonight was just a bit of energy towards the end of the day,” Southee said. “It’s been a long three days, and it was good to see the energy still there from both sides.”
Over the course of the match so far, 32 overs have been lost due to various interruptions. Southee defended the slow-over rate, noting, “It’s never ideal, I don’t think, but it’s obviously been hot so there’s been probably more drinks than usual. There’s been a number of stoppages with the ball also, and DRS takes its time. But yeah, to lose that much, it’s probably at the extreme level.”
