India captain Shubman Gill didn’t hold back when asked if he regretted the team’s aggressive stance during the third Test at Lord’s. In a poised yet firm response, Gill dismantled the growing English narrative that blamed India’s “confrontational” approach for their 22-run loss, instead calling out England’s own gamesmanship.
England’s Delay at the Crease: The Real Trigger
Gill set the record straight: England had seven minutes to bat before stumps on Day 3, but Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett walked in 90 seconds late. “Not 10, not 20—90 seconds late,” Gill stressed, adding that the umpires chose to stay silent despite the clear delay.
The Indian fielders, fired up and ready to go, were denied the full opportunity to attack. When Crawley took a blow and called for the physio mid-over, tensions boiled over. That’s when Gill’s now-infamous outburst—telling Crawley to “grow some balls”—was caught on the stump mic.
‘We Had No Intention to Be Confrontational’
Addressing the incident, Gill didn’t deny the heat of the moment but provided critical context:
“It’s not something I’m very proud of, but there was a build-up. It didn’t come out of nowhere. When things happen that shouldn’t, emotions spill over.”
He made it clear that India had no pre-planned agenda to intimidate or confront England. “We are playing a high-stakes game. We’re here to win. That passion can’t be faked, and sometimes it erupts,” Gill explained.
Spirit of the Game—A Two-Way Street
Gill acknowledged that delaying tactics are part of the game. But he insisted there’s a way to do it within the spirit of competition. “If we were in that position, maybe we’d try to face fewer balls too—but not like that,” he said.
By calmly explaining the sequence and motivation, Gill exposed the double standards in the criticism directed at India. While England played up their emotional resurgence, Gill reminded everyone that Test cricket itself should be motivation enough—not a single outburst from the opposition.
England’s Convenient Morality and Selective Outrage
What Gill didn’t say outright was equally powerful. England’s head coach Brendon McCullum was caught encouraging players to sledge Washington Sundar when he came to bat, supposedly because he had said India could chase the target “by lunch.” So much for playing the game “the right way.”
The idea that Gill’s comment somehow turned the tide of the match is, frankly, convenient storytelling. England threw the first punch with subtle gamesmanship—India simply responded.
Gill Reclaims the Narrative—and the Moral Ground
With one composed press conference, Gill dragged England off their self-appointed moral pedestal. He didn’t deny emotions ran high—but he stood up for his team, its integrity, and the fight they brought to the field.
In Gill’s words and tone, there was no defensiveness—only clarity and leadership. The message was simple: India fights between bat and ball, not through narratives spun in press boxes.
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