India’s young Test captain Shubman Gill did not mince his words when addressing the controversy surrounding England’s tactics late on Day 3 of the Lord’s Test. In what has become a heated subplot of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series, Gill accused England’s openers of deliberately delaying their arrival at the crease—taking nearly 90 seconds longer than permitted—despite only seven minutes of play remaining.

According to Shubman Gill, such tactics go against the spirit of the game. Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the fourth Test in Manchester, Gill wrapped up his interaction on a fiery note.

“Let me just clear the air,” he said. “The English openers came out 90 seconds late—not 10, not 20, but 90. That’s not in the spirit of the game. Yes, every team, including us, tries to reduce overs in such situations. But there’s a way to do it. If a batter is hit and the physio runs out, that’s fair. But delaying your entrance like that crosses a line.”

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Tensions had already been simmering during the final over of Day 3 when Jasprit Bumrah bowled and clapped sarcastically at Zak Crawley for the delay. Words flew between Bumrah and Ben Duckett as well, with India visibly agitated by what they perceived as unsporting behaviour.

In what has been an emotionally charged series and his first assignment as full-time Test skipper, Shubman Gill didn’t shy away from confronting the issue. “There was a build-up,” he explained. “I’m not saying I’m proud of everything that happened, but things were already boiling before that moment. It wasn’t spontaneous.”

“They were 90 seconds late to come to the pitch. Not 10, not 20, 90 seconds late”

Shubman GIll questions whether England’s conduct on the third evening at Lord’s was against the spirit of the game 👀 pic.twitter.com/uCnsqCXDyP

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 22, 2025

Gill’s candid remarks reflected the intensity with which both teams have approached the series. “This is Test cricket. Emotions run high, and when you feel something isn’t right, reactions can follow,” he added. “We’re out there to compete and win.”

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Interestingly, just minutes before Gill’s media session, England captain Ben Stokes had stated that his team wouldn’t shy away from giving it back if the Indian players brought verbal aggression again in Manchester. With both captains setting a confrontational tone, the fourth Test promises to be a fiery affair both on and off the field.