It was a dramatic end to day three of the third Test with opener Zak Crawley using the delaying tactic to ensure England only played one over before stumps. Still, the Indians, led by Shubman Gill, were hardly amused.
Speaking after close of play, England bowling consultant Tim Southee and India opener K. L. Rahul said the heated exchange between the Indian fielders and the home team openers formed the essence of a hard-fought day in Test cricket.
Speedster Jasprit Bumrah clapped in sarcasm as Crawley seemingly faked pain in his hand after defending the ball from the middle of the bat.
“It’s good and always exciting to see both sides animated towards the end. Not sure what they were complaining about when Gill was lying down getting a massage in the middle of the day yesterday. It’s obviously part of the game, near the end of the day, it’s an exciting way to finish the day,” Southee said.
Asked about Crawley in jest, South said, “Yeah, he (Crawley) will be assessed overnight. I hope he’ll be alright to carry on tomorrow.”
Rahul said Crawley’s tactic was understandable considering he is an opener himself.
“What happened at the end is just part of the game now. I understand from an opening batter’s point of view. I know exactly what was going on, and everyone knows exactly what was going on. But an opening batter will understand completely what happened in the last five minutes,” he said.
Gill, too, was fired up, and his raw emotions reflected on the audio from the stump mic.
“I have seen him fired up, but obviously we wanted to bowl two overs. There were six minutes left. Obviously, two overs is a no-brainer that any team will bowl two overs with six minutes to go.
