India captain Shubman Gill has broken his silence on the heated verbal duels and tense moments that defined the dramatic third Test against England at Lord’s. In a gripping contest that saw emotions spill over on multiple occasions, Gill acknowledged the sledging and confrontations but described them as an inevitable part of competitive cricket. The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy reached a boiling point during the Lord’s Test, with both sides abandoning their restraint in favour of raw aggression.

After two fiercely contested but relatively composed Tests, the third encounter turned fiery, starting late on Day 3 and continuing till the final delivery on Day 5. It all began in the final ten minutes of Day 3, when England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett tried to see out the day with deliberate time-wasting tactics. This irked the Indian camp.

Crawley repeatedly pulled away while facing Jasprit Bumrah, which led to an infuriated Shubman Gill shouting, “Grow some f***ing balls.” When Crawley was struck on the glove shortly after, Indian fielders surrounded him, clapping sarcastically. The finger-pointing that followed saw Gill mock Crawley with an ‘impact player’ gesture, further fuelling tensions.

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Days 4 and 5 saw the hostility escalate. Mohammed Siraj gave Duckett a charged send-off that earned him an ICC fine, while Jofra Archer and Harry Brook peppered debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy with aggressive taunts. Archer also dismissed Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar with venomous deliveries, adding more fire to the already heated atmosphere.

Despite the intensity, Shubman Gill struck a mature tone in the post-match press conference, brushing off the sledging as “part and parcel” of Test cricket. “When you’re mentally and physically giving your everything, a bit of heat is natural. These moments make the game more exciting and challenging,” Gill explained.

He added that both sides held mutual respect, but with so much at stake, occasional confrontations were bound to happen. “At the end of the day, there’s a lot of admiration between both teams. These moments of tension come from the desire to win and give your best,” he said.

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When asked if England had retaliated to India’s aggression with added intensity in the final innings, Gill dismissed the notion of personal vendettas. “England were just trying as hard as we were. That’s what makes these matches so gripping.”

India fell short by just 22 runs in a tense finish, handing England a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. The fourth Test is set to begin at Old Trafford, Manchester, on July 23, promising another chapter of fierce and emotional cricket.