Grow Some Balls: Shubman Gill Fumes As Final-Over Drama Sparks Heated Scenes, His 60 Overs Of Hell Moment

India.com

13-07-2025

Day three of the Lord's Test between India and England ended with high drama, as Indian captain Shubman Gill was visibly furious over what he saw as deliberate time-wasting by England's openers. After India were dismissed for 387 in the final session, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett were left to navigate a tricky final ten minutes before stumps. Before the third ball of Jasprit Bumrah's opening over, Crawley pulled away late in the run-up, citing movement behind the bowler's arm. However, both Gill and Bumrah appeared unconvinced by the explanation.
From the slips cordon, Gill was heard shouting at Crawley, 'Get some balls, grow some f***ing balls.'
Bumrah's fifth ball struck Crawley on the glove, prompting the England opener to shake his hand and call for medical assistance. The call for the physio triggered chaos in the middle, with Indian players quickly surrounding Crawley. Gill and Duckett exchanged heated words, complete with finger-pointing, forcing the umpires to intervene. Crawley's tactics appeared effective, as England's openers only had to face six balls before stumps were drawn, ending the day at 0 for 2.
Shubman Gill & Co. didn't come to be played around, treaming on JioHotstar pic.twitter.com/ix13r7vtja — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 12, 2025
England On The Incident
When asked about the heated exchange, England team consultant Tim Southee took a dig at Gill, saying, 'I don't know what they (Indians) were complaining about when Shubman is lying down all the time taking a massage.'
KL's Centuy And Jaddu's Brilliance
Earlier in the day, KL Rahul scored a century and Ravindra Jadeja added a third consecutive fifty, as India matched England's first innings total of 387. Rahul and Rishabh Pant had put India in control with a 141-run partnership for the fourth wicket. However, both were dismissed either side of lunch, swinging momentum back to England. India looked set to go into the break unscathed, but in the final over before lunch, Pant was run out attempting a risky single to get Rahul, who was on 98, back on strike for his century. England captain Ben Stokes executed a direct hit from cover-point to send Pant back on 74. Rahul did reach his hundred soon after lunch but was dismissed next ball, edging Shoaib Bashir to slip.
Rahul went on to score his 10th Test hundred in 61 matches and second at Lord's with a single off his 176th ball, which included 13 boundaries. However, he was dismissed the very next delivery after lunch. Following his dismissal, Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy built a 72-run stand across 27 overs to steady the innings. Reddy eventually gloved a rising ball from Stokes to the keeper, and India's middle order began to crumble. Jadeja brought up his fifty with a boundary off Joe Root, continuing his strong form after scores of 89 and 69 not out at Edgbaston. He later lofted Root for six but was caught down the leg side by Chris Woakes. Despite being level in the five-match series at 1-1, India have struggled to capitalise on key moments. Their inability to convert strong positions into match-defining leads has kept the contest finely balanced.