Gill vs Crawley fight video: What transpired & who said what | ENG vs IND

Day 4 of the third Test in the five-match series between India and England will begin with a sense of drama that encapsulated the nature of the series so far. "Absolute cinema" and "high-class drama" were phrases apt to describe the final over of Day 3, whose ripple effects continued to be felt the next day.

 

As both teams and fans getting prepared for the Day 4 live action, Business Standard revisits the Gill vs Crawley episode and outlines what to expect in today’s play.

 

What is the match situation of the England vs India 3rd Test?

  In response to England’s first-innings total of 387, India were bowled out for exactly the same score on a challenging Lord’s wicket—one far less forgiving than those at Headingley and Edgbaston.

 

After three absorbing days of cricket, England ended Day 3 without loss, finishing at 2/0.

 

  However, when England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett walked out to bat, what followed was pure theatre. The pair appeared to deliberately slow the proceedings in an attempt to ensure that India bowled just one over before stumps on Day 3.

 

What happened on Day 3 of the ENG vs IND 3rd Test at Lord’s?

  Tempers flared and tension simmered during the closing moments of Day 3 at Lord’s, the ‘Home of Cricket’, on Saturday.

 

With only a few minutes remaining, the Indian players were visibly charged as they took the field, hoping to make Crawley and Duckett play as many deliveries as possible.

 

Jasprit Bumrah was handed the ball to shake England’s top order. After the second delivery, he appeared displeased—possibly at Crawley’s tactics to delay play. As Bumrah began his run-up, Crawley stepped away, further agitating the Indian side.

 

India captain Shubman Gill, positioned in the slip cordon, shouted something toward the striker’s end. Other Indian players also had words with Crawley. On the fifth delivery, Crawley was struck on the glove. He removed it and called for the physio.

 

The move drew sarcastic applause from the Indian fielders. Gill rushed toward Crawley and gestured toward the pavilion. Words were exchanged, with Duckett also getting involved in a heated exchange with Gill. The final ball of the over saw Bumrah deliver a peach, closing out a riveting day of cricket.

 

IND vs ENG: Gill vs Crawley fight video

 

    KL Rahul weighs in on Gill-Crawley exchange

  India’s experienced opener KL Rahul reflected on the heated moments at the end of Day 3, describing them as just another part of the game.

 

Having seen the drama unfold up close, Rahul provided an opener’s insight into the Gill-Crawley standoff, saying that only someone who has opened in Test cricket would fully understand the situation.

 

“What happened at the end—honestly, it’s just part of the game now. I understand it from an opener’s point of view. I know exactly what was going on out there, and so does everyone else. But a fellow opener would particularly relate to what unfolded in those final five minutes,” Rahul told reporters after play.

 

Tim Southee fires back at Gill 

England bowling consultant Tim Southee took a dig at Shubman Gill following the on-field confrontation late on Day 3.

 

Southee downplayed the Indian side’s protests, referencing Gill’s actions from the previous day. “It’s always good when things heat up at the end. I’m not sure what India were complaining about, especially when Shubman was lying on the field taking a massage in the middle of the day yesterday. It’s all part of the game,” he said after the day’s play. 

What former England players said

   Michael Atherton, former England captain, embraced the intensity and said it was a dramatic end to a tightly contested day. Speaking on Sky Sports, he remarked: “Those last five minutes—I wouldn’t have minded being out there myself! It was terrific drama and pure theatre. Harry Brook couldn’t stop laughing on the England balcony.”

 

“There was some banter, but I didn’t mind it. It was a spirited contest. You have to allow players a bit of space in such moments. I really enjoyed watching that ending. It was a fitting close to a hard-fought day,” he added.

 

On JioHotstar show, Jonathan Trott, former England batter and current coach of Afghanistan, offered a more critical view—possibly alluding to a former Indian skipper.

 

“We don’t know what was said while England were fielding, or whether they were dishing it out. But I’m not a fan of Gill’s theatrics. As captain, he sets the tone. Pointing fingers and getting overly confrontational—it felt reminiscent of a former skipper who often got in the opposition’s face. I’m all for competitiveness, but sometimes, you’ve got to rise above it. That said, it sets things up beautifully for tomorrow.”

 

Anil Kumble’s measured take 

Former India captain Anil Kumble, who led the team during the infamous Monkeygate incident in Australia, responded with calm perspective. “I haven’t seen Shubman so animated and vocal at the opposition before. He did have a few things to say in the first innings too,” Kumble noted, with characteristic restraint.