WATCH: Shubman Gill and Zak Crawley clash at Lord’s, Finger-pointing incident sparks on-field drama

After Team India was bowled out in the first innings, England began their second innings with Jasprit Bumrah taking the new ball. But what followed in that single over was packed with more drama than the entire series combined.

The Test matches between India and England in Leeds and Birmingham were played without any heated moments. However, the calm shattered at Lord’s. From the very first day, the third Test had been a hard-fought contest, but tensions truly boiled over on Day 3. What began as a competitive game soon turned into a fiery on-field exchange. By the end of the day’s play, a verbal spat broke out between Indian captain Shubman Gill and England opener Zak Crawley, with both players seen pointing fingers and engaging in a heated argument.

All of this unfolded on Saturday, July 12, during the final session of Day 3 of the Test match. Team India’s first innings wrapped up at 387 runs, matching England’s total and leaving the first innings without a clear lead. With scores level, the spotlight shifted to England as they came out to bat again. The big question was whether their openers could survive the final 6–7 minutes of play without losing a wicket.

Team India wanted to bowl 2 overs in the remaining minutes, while England wanted to end the day in just one over. In such a situation, England’s opener Zak Crawley started adopting ‘delay tactics’ as he deliberately kept doing something after every ball, which wasted time. When Bumrah was ready to bowl the third ball of the over, Crawley was not ready for it. The very next moment, the batter stepped away from the pitch, which visibly upset Jasprit Bumrah, prompting him to voice his frustration to the umpire. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill, positioned in the slips, was clearly fired up. He confronted the English batter, challenging him to show some courage though the exact words he used were not suitable to be quoted.

Despite the tension, the England opener managed to survive the third and fourth deliveries. But the real drama unfolded after the fifth ball. Zak Crawley failed to defend a sharp delivery from Bumrah, which struck him hard on the gloves. Crawley immediately signaled to the dressing room, calling for the physio. That’s when things escalated several Indian players quickly approached Crawley, and the atmosphere on the field turned even more intense.

This time, captain Shubman Gill couldn’t hold back his emotions. He walked straight up to Zak Crawley and began exchanging words, which quickly led to a heated argument. Gill pointed his finger at Crawley while speaking aggressively, and the England opener responded in kind, gesturing back at the Indian captain. The tension escalated further when England’s other opener, Ben Duckett, stepped in and began arguing with Gill. The Indian skipper didn’t hold back and gave it back to him as well. Eventually, the umpire intervened, separated the players, and the over concluded with the final delivery.

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