Shubman Gill is normally associated with calmness on the field, but the end of Day 3 at Lord’s saw the young batter show a very seldom-seen, fiery temper. Gill did not look anywhere near as composed during India’s innings. He was pacing back and forth near the Lord’s balcony, getting animated advice from coach Gautam Gambhir and Rishabh Pant. There was an impression he was getting ready for something and that came out in the last period of tension.
Having bowled India out for 387 equalling their own first-innings score England emerged to bat once more, looking to ride out a difficult last session. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett took England to 2/0 at the stumps, but the scoreboard did not reflect the bubbling frustration that exploded in Jasprit Bumrah’s blistering opening over.
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Crawley, while facing, had taken a couple of runs early in the over before persistently holding up play on grounds of concern about the sight screen and backing away from the crease. The holds obviously frustrated the Indian fielders. Shubman Gill, who was at second slip, lost his temper and screamed a swearing-laced expletive “Grow some f** ba**s” which had no doubt been picked up by the stump microphone. Bumrah, clearly irritated, walked back to his mark, as mutterings and snide comments ran around the cordon.
SHUBMAN GILL TO ZAK CRAWLEY. 🗣️
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 12, 2025
"Grow some FKing balls, Zak". pic.twitter.com/66UMujR8bb
Things took a turn for the worse when Bumrah sent down an aggressive bouncer that hit Crawley on the glove. The England opener promptly signaled for the physio, but the Indian fielders had other ideas — slow, mocking claps directed at Crawley’s timing. Gill, in a threatening move, seemed to nod towards the pavilion, possibly inviting Crawley to call it an evening. There were words spoken. Duckett stepped in to calm things as both camps teetered on the brink of a larger conflict.
The over concluded with a bit of venom from Bumrah, as he kept Crawley on his toes with some short, fiery deliveries. The England batter, it appeared, was intentionally dragging the over so that India could not squeeze in another before the close.
England’s total of 387 had been equaled by England due to a brilliant hundred by KL Rahul, complemented by crucial input from Pant and Jadeja. As soon as Jadeja was dismissed, the last two batters could only score 11 runs.
As the dust settles on a closely fought day, England are two runs ahead with all ten wickets intact. With the match evenly poised, Day 4 is set to be a turning point in this exciting Test.
