Mohammed Siraj rams shoulder into Ben Duckett in red-hot send-off as tempers boil over on Day 4, umpire rushes to action

Mohammed Siraj was fired up as he gave an aggressive send-off to Ben Duckett after dismissing him on Day 4 of the Lord's Test.

India struck early on Day 4 of the third Test at Lord’s as Mohammed Siraj dismissed Ben Duckett for 12, following up the breakthrough with a fiery send-off that reignited the tensions from the previous evening. Siraj’s animated celebration prompted an intervention from the on-field umpire, who walked in from square leg to caution the pacer for his aggressive reaction.

Mohammed Siraj gives Ben Duckett a send-off after dismissing him on Day 4 (X)

The wicket came in the sixth over of England’s second innings, with Siraj bowling a 140kph back-of-a-length delivery just outside off. Duckett, attempting to pull it down the ground, failed to generate enough power or direction, dragging it off the inside half of the bat straight to Jasprit Bumrah at mid-on. As Bumrah completed the catch, Siraj ran towards Duckett, shouting in celebration just inches away from the departing batter. There was a visible shoulder gesture as well, before the umpire stepped in.

The celebration continued the hostile atmosphere that had developed at the end of Day 3, when Shubman Gill and Zak Crawley were involved in a verbal exchange after India sarcastically applauded Crawley’s call for the physio. That incident ended with words exchanged between players, and Siraj’s reaction on Saturday morning added to the tensions on the field between the two sides.

Duckett had shown intent early in the same over with an audacious lap shot, but his decision to take on Siraj again with a risky pull proved costly. The wicket left England at 22/1, with India looking to capitalise after levelling the first-innings score at 387. The early breakthrough gave India momentum in a match now effectively reduced to a second-innings shootout.

A charged-up end to Day 3

Tensions between the two teams had already begun to boil over during the final over of Day 3, when Crawley’s repeated delays in Bumrah’s opening over with the new ball led to visible frustration in the Indian camp.

Crawley, after being struck on the glove, called for the physio, prompting sarcastic applause from Indian fielders. This was after Crawley had already dragged the over after stopping Bumrah twice in his run-up, citing sight-screen issues.

Gill was especially animated and also hurled down expletives from the slips towards the batter. After Crawley called for a physio, Gill also gestured towards the English dressing room. Duckett intervened, escalating the moment as players from both sides engaged in a tense verbal exchange.