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Zak Crawley breaks silence on Shubman Gill’s abusive verbal sledge, denies time-wasting tactic: ‘I wasn’t aware that…’

Speaking after Day 2 of the ongiong fourth Test, Zak Crawley opened up on the spat with Shubman Gill and revealed that it was a misunderstanding.

Published on: Jul 25, 2025, 08:31:16 IST
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England opener Zak Crawley was involved in a heated altercation with Shubman Gill during the third Test match, at Lord’s. Crawley was confronted by Gill, who also threw an abusive verbal volley at him. He was caught by the stump mic saying, ‘grow some f****** b***s’. Since then, Gill has broken his silence on the incident, accusing Crawley of time-wasting.

England's Zak Crawley clashes with India's Shubman Gill. (Action Images via Reuters)
England's Zak Crawley clashes with India's Shubman Gill. (Action Images via Reuters)

Speaking after Day 2 of the ongiong fourth Test, Crawley opened up on the incident and revealed that it was a misunderstanding and he wasn’t trying to break any rule.

Also Read: Vaibhav Suryavanshi handed brutal reality check, dismissed for a golden duck in India vs England U-19 Youth Test

“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,” he said.

Zak Crawley enjoyed verbal spat with Shubman Gill

He also revealed that he loved the altercation with Gill. “I've always enjoyed that part of cricket, to be honest, especially when you're batting. There's two of you against eleven and they're desperate to get you out, and they're chirping you,” he said.

“Most of the time, I'd probably let it slide, and then other times, I feel like it's a good chance to put it back on them. I loved that little eight-minute passage. No-one stepped over the line. I thought everyone was in good spirits. It was just competitive cricket, and I really enjoyed it,” he added.

Crawley also had special praise for Rishabh Pant, who batted on Day 2 despite an injury. “Not many people in the world would be able to come out and bat like he did on one foot,” he said.

“Not many people in the world would be able to come out and bat like he did on one foot,” he added.

Day 2 of the fourth Test saw England get control as Ollie Pope (20*) and Joe Root (11*) remained unbeate at Stumps. The hosts took India’s last six wickets of the first innings for 96 runso n Day 2, and Ben Stokes even got his first Test five-for since 2017. England also got an opening stand of 166 runs, although neiher Crawley or Ben Duckett got a ton. England reached 225/2 at Stumps, in response to India’s 358.

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