Gill Addresses England’s Delay in Third Test, Questions ‘Spirit’

MANCHESTER: Indian cricketer Shubman Gill addressed the controversy surrounding a heated exchange with England’s opening batsmen, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, during the third day of the Lord’s Test. The incident, which occurred late on the third evening, saw India unable to bowl the expected number of overs due to fading light.

This limitation led to visible frustration from the Indian team, particularly Gill, who gestured emphatically towards the England openers. The reaction sparked debate among cricket analysts and remained a topic of discussion for over a week. Gill aimed to clarify the situation, stating his reaction stemmed from the England openers arriving late, rather than any medical attention Crawley may have needed after being struck by a ball from Jasprit Bumrah.

Gill acknowledged that teams sometimes employ tactics to use time, such as requesting medical assistance, but he argued that a 90-second delay in arriving to the crease did not align with the ‘spirit of the game’.

Gill’s Statement

“Since it’s been widely discussed, I want to set the record straight. The England batsmen had seven minutes of play remaining that day, but they were 90 seconds late to the pitch. It wasn’t 10 or 20 seconds, but a full 90 seconds,” Gill explained.

“Many teams use such strategies, and we might have considered similar tactics to reduce the number of overs played if we were in a comparable situation. However, there is a proper way to handle it.”

He added, “If a player is hit, it is perfectly acceptable for the physios to attend to them. But arriving 90 seconds late to the crease, in my opinion, goes against the spirit of the game.”