Zak Crawley Clears the Air on Shubman Gill Sledge
England opener Zak Crawley has finally addressed the verbal altercation with India’s Shubman Gill that took place during the third Test at Lord’s. The incident gained attention after stump microphones caught Gill yelling at Crawley to “grow some f****** b***s,” accusing him of wasting time at the start of play.
Speaking after Day 2 of the ongoing fourth Test in Manchester, Crawley explained that the delay was unintentional and a simple misunderstanding. “No, it wasn’t intentional. I sit in my spot until the umpires go out. I walked out when I saw them go. I wasn’t aware we were 90 seconds late, but fair enough,” Crawley said, denying that he deliberately held up the game.
Crawley Enjoyed the Verbal Exchange with Gill
Despite the heated words, Crawley said he appreciated the competitiveness. “I’ve always enjoyed that part of cricket, especially when you’re batting. There’s two of you against eleven, and they’re desperate to get you out. I loved that little eight-minute passage. No one stepped over the line. It was just competitive cricket, and I really enjoyed it.”
He also offered praise for Rishabh Pant, who scored a gritty 54 on one foot despite a fracture. “Not many people in the world would be able to come out and bat like he did on one foot,” Crawley noted.
England on Top After Day 2 in Manchester
Day 2 of the fourth Test saw England make strong progress. After dismissing India’s remaining six wickets for 96 runs, the hosts built a solid response. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett gave England a brilliant start with a 166-run opening stand. While neither batter reached a century, their partnership gave England a platform. Joe Root (11*) and Ollie Pope (20*) remained unbeaten as England closed the day at 225/2, chasing India’s first-innings score of 358. Ben Stokes also made headlines with his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket since 2017.
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