Shubman Gill let his emotions fly on a tense evening at Lord’s on Saturday, July 12, as the Indian skipper was caught on camera lashing out at England opener Ben Duckett, telling him bluntly to “grow some f****** balls.” The flare-up came during the dying minutes of Day 3 in the ongoing third Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, as tempers boiled over amid what the Indian camp perceived as deliberate time-wasting by the English openers.
With just over five minutes left before stumps, England were forced to bat a short session after India matched their first-innings total of 387. Jasprit Bumrah was brought on to bowl the first over, and India were eager to squeeze in a second over before the 11 pm IST cut-off. However, Zak Crawley appeared in no hurry, twice pulling out of his stance before Bumrah could deliver, and taking longer than usual between deliveries. The Indian players sensed a delay tactic to deny them a second over.
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Just before the fifth delivery, Duckett and Crawley held a mid-pitch chat, prompting an infuriated Gill to confront them. What followed was a charged exchange involving several Indian players, including slip fielders and pacer Mohammed Siraj, who joined in vocally.
🔥 Gill’s “grow some balls” taunt to Duckett at Lord’s 2025 echoes #Kohli’s 2022 Edgbaston sledging of #Bairstow! 😅 Jonny smashed 106 after Virat’s jabs; can Ben fire back on Day 4? Bumrah’s pace looms large! 🏏 #INDvENG #LordsTest #ENGvIND#INDvsEND #ShubmanGill𓃵 pic.twitter.com/5fskJmeDYF
— Er.Pankaj kumar (@pankajku1992) July 12, 2025
The situation escalated after the fifth ball, when Crawley was struck on the glove and grimaced in pain, eventually walking away for treatment. Gill, clearly unconvinced by the reaction, mockingly applauded him while advancing towards him. Duckett intervened again, with more finger-pointing and tension flaring between the sides.
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England ended the day at 2/0, but the fireworks didn’t stop with the cricket. Though Crawley’s actions remained within the laws of the game, India’s frustration was palpable—they believed England were tactically running down the clock. The umpires, notably, stayed on the sidelines and appeared reluctant to intervene. With emotions running high, Day 4 promises more drama.
