There were high tensions within the Indian camp at the end of Day 3 after England’s Zak Crawley twice held up play in the first over of their second innings. With just six minutes left on the clock after India had evened the scores at 387, the Jasprit Bumrah over quickly became a flashpoint.
The initial disruption occurred on the third delivery when Crawley stepped back from the crease, complaining about a distraction around the sight screen. Obviously irked, Indian fielder Shubman Gill lost his temper and was overheard shouting, “Grow some f***ing balls” at the England opener.
Two balls after that, Crawley was hit on the glove by a snappy ball from Bumrah and immediately called out the physio. As he was getting treated, some Indian players reacted with derisive applause as they walked by. Gill, especially, seemed to have some heated exchanges with Crawley, taking the on-field tension to a different level.
Responding to the incident, New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee defended Crawley, adding that Gill too had taken a long break during India’s spell in the field on Day 2. Southee rejected allegations that any time was wasted and added that Crawley would be kept under observation overnight for any after-effects of the injury.
“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,” Tim Southee told the media
“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,” he said. “It’s been a long three days, and it was good to see the energy still there from both sides.”
“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.”
He also played down the altercation, insisting it was a sign of the competitive nature of the series. Significantly, the Test has already lost 32 overs over the first three days as a result of a range of interruptions. Southee, though, defended the over rate, saying any hold-ups were part and parcel of high-pressured Test cricket.
