The third Test match between India and England at Lord's was nothing short of a cricketing spectacle, packed with drama, tension, and thrilling moments that kept fans on the edge of their seats right up to the final ball on Day 5. England emerged victorious by a narrow margin of 22 runs, taking a 2-1 lead in the fiercely contested five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series. But beyond the runs and wickets, it was the fiery exchanges and heated altercations between players that defined this gripping encounter.
One of the most talked-about incidents occurred late on Day 3, when England’s openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett found themselves at the center of a storm sparked by India’s attempts to hasten the game’s pace. Crawley, who was batting in England’s second innings, was accused by the Indian side of deliberately delaying proceedings just before stumps. This led to a tense confrontation with India’s captain Shubman Gill, who wanted to capitalize on the fading light by having his pacers bowl two overs. Crawley’s tactics, including stepping away from his stance to complain about the sight screen, drew a sharp response from Gill, who was caught by the stump mic shouting from second slip, “Grow some f*** bas.”
The tension escalated when Crawley was struck on the glove by Jasprit Bumrah’s delivery and immediately called for the physio. The Indian team responded sarcastically with slow claps, and Gill took it further by walking up to Crawley and mockingly gesturing towards the pavilion. The altercation required Ben Duckett to step in to calm the situation. England batsman Harry Brook later reflected on this moment as the turning point for the visitors, saying, “Yeah, we saw them guys going at Creeps (Zak Crawley) and Ducky (Ben Duckett), so we had a little chat and we thought we were a team, so we may as well combine with each other, get together and yeah, go back in there.”
Brook described how the team’s response to the provocation united them and intensified their fielding efforts. “It looked like there was 11 versus 2 out there while we were fielding,” he said, adding that the atmosphere made the game “awesome to watch” and “a lot more enjoyable.” The increased intensity was evident on Day 4, with England’s Brydon Carse and captain Ben Stokes exchanging words with Indian players, including a mid-pitch collision between Carse and Ravindra Jadeja. Despite the fiery exchanges, Brook insisted that England tried to maintain the spirit of the game, stating, “We were just going about it in the right manner.”
England’s captain Ben Stokes addressed the incident with a measured tone, acknowledging the pressure on his openers. “When you're watching your two opening batters go out there for an over, and you're seeing 11 guys all come at [them], that's going to bring out another side,” he said. Stokes also showed sportsmanship by consoling Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj after the final wicket and hugging Jadeja, who scored a half-century during India’s valiant chase.
Mohammed Siraj, who was fined 15 percent of his match fee and given one demerit point for his aggressive send-off of Duckett, spoke candidly about the sledging and tension during the match. “There’s no pre-planning. It happens in the moment. If a batter’s in the zone, you try to disturb him and get into his head. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But as a fast bowler, it’s fun,” he said. Siraj hinted that the verbal battles might continue in the upcoming fourth Test, adding, “Maybe. Depends on the situation. A little bit of chatter can shake things up.”
Harry Brook echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that England “don’t always have to be nice” and that the team embraced a more combative approach after the tensions flared at Lord’s. “The opportunity that arose for us to not be the nice guys was because of what they did. We just thought ‘we’re not standing for that’,” he explained. Brook revealed that this mindset shift was encouraged by head coach Brendon McCullum, who suggested the team had been “too nice sometimes.” “I brought it up the night before the last day: ‘Baz said the other day we’re too nice, I think tomorrow is a perfect opportunity to really get stuck into them’,” Brook said.
To further sharpen their mental edge, England enlisted the help of mental skills coach Gilbert Enoka, known for his work with New Zealand’s rugby team and their ‘no d**heads’ policy during their World Cup victories. Enoka joined the squad on a consultancy basis and addressed the players ahead of their training session on Monday, aiming to instill resilience and focus as the series moves to Old Trafford.
The series remains finely poised with the fourth Test set to commence on July 23 at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester. Both teams have shown resilience and fighting spirit, and with the added edge of on-field confrontations, the upcoming match promises to be another captivating chapter in this enthralling contest. As Brook noted, “India are such a good side, they can bounce back at any stage... every game we've played so far has gone into the last hour of the game, which you don't see very often.”
Brook himself had a quieter outing at Lord’s, scoring just 34 runs, and recently relinquished the top spot in the Test batting rankings to fellow Yorkshireman Joe Root. Nevertheless, Brook remains focused on his role, saying, “My main reason I’m in the team is to score runs and I don’t want that (ranking) to affect my batting.” He praised Root as “a phenomenal player” and “the best Test batter of all time” in his opinion.
With both sides hungry for victory and the psychological battles intensifying, the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy is shaping up as one of the most thrilling Test series in recent memory. Fans can expect more high-quality cricket, fierce competition, and perhaps a few more verbal duels as England and India clash again in Manchester.
