The build-up to the Manchester Test between India and England took an intriguing turn as Shubman Gill’s comments from the Lord’s Test resurfaced, sparking a lively discussion. Before the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, India’s captain, Shubman Gill, addressed the verbal spat with England’s openers, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett. Gill had accused the English duo of being “90 seconds late” in taking their positions at the crease during the third day of the Lord’s Test.
This comment was brought up during the first day of the Manchester Test, with England cricket legend Nasser Hussain and Dinesh Karthik discussing the matter in the Sky Sports commentary box. As India’s Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur hesitated to continue batting due to fading light at Old Trafford, Nasser Hussain laughed off Gill’s remarks, saying it “made him laugh,” and adding that every team indulges in time-wasting tactics at some point. Hussain dismissed the issue, claiming it was simply a part of the game.
However, Dinesh Karthik quickly shot back, offering a sharp rebuttal to Hussain’s comments. Karthik explained that while time-wasting was common, what bothered Gill was not the overall delay but the specific “90 seconds late” arrival of England’s openers at the crease. Karthik’s response struck the right chord, clarifying Gill’s frustration in a way that left no room for further laughter.
This whole exchange stemmed from a controversial moment during the Lord’s Test when England’s openers, Crawley and Duckett, delayed their arrival to the crease, preventing India from taking a second over before stumps on Day 3. Shubman Gill had been vocal about this delay, defending his comments in a press conference later. He remarked, “If you get hit on your body, the physios are allowed to come on, and that is fair. But coming 90 seconds late to the crease is not something that I would think comes in the spirit of the game.”
The heated debate around Gill’s comments continues to divide opinion, with Nasser Hussain and Dinesh Karthik offering opposing views on the matter during their live commentary.
The Full Exchange Between Nasser Hussain and Dinesh Karthik:
Nasser Hussain: “The umpires were concerned about the light, I think, in the last over. I haven’t seen any light meters out there.”
Dinesh Karthik: “I think that’s quite clever. It’s fine to just plant that small seed in the umpire’s mind. Especially with the new ball coming. India has had a couple of collapses too. It’s cheeky, not a bad idea.”
Nasser Hussain: “That’s what made me laugh about Shubman Gill’s press conference. England wasn’t in the spirit of the game by delaying things. England did delay it—Day three, that one over was ridiculous—but every team does it. India will do it tonight too. Why would they want extra overs with Jofra Archer under the lights? Who would?”
Dinesh Karthik: “The difference is, I don’t think India would take 90 seconds to avoid batting, or not come down to bat. That’s the issue Shubman Gill had. He wasn’t bothered by time-wasting; it was the fact that they were 90 seconds late to take the strike.”
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