India vs England: Ben Stokes claps back at the visitors at the close of Day 4

The weather in London has been sweltering for the British crowd. The heat at Lord's specifically, however, has a lot to do with the friction between India and England. While not on the initial days, the third India vs England Test has evolved into a fiery battle. Eyeing to claim a lead in the five-match series, the opponents stand evenly poised as the ultimate day of the Lord's Test swiftly approaches. Day 3 closed with Shubman Gill throwing an earful at Zak Crawley as the English opener tried to stall the game at the cusp of stumps. Day 4, meanwhile, found India in a similar position, and as the visitors tried to adapt to the same tactics, Ben Stokes was quick to clap back.

Day 3 drama seeps into the penultimate day of the third India vs England Test

The hosts unraveled rather quickly on Day 4 of the third India vs England Test at Lord's. The second innings started late on Day 3 after the visitors drew level with England's first innings score of 387. India got hold of the cherry as Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett came out to open with just 7 minutes remaining for stumps. India, keen on squeezing in at least two overs of the attack, were left frustrated by Zak Crawley. In an attempt to mitigate the evening attack, Crawley halted the game multiple times as Jasprit Bumrah bowled the opening over of the innings.

Crawley made Bumrah stop in his tracks twice before facing a delivery, then pulled out for the third time as the pacer completed his run-up. Crawley's antics got the better of Gill's nerve. The Indian captain, Shubman Gill, angrily urged Crawley to step up and fight. With his hands throwing gestures at the English batsman, Gill called for Crawley to, "Grow some fu***** ba***." At the next delivery, the opener was hit on his glove by a beamer. Crawley halted the game again, with the entire Indian team breaking into a mocking slow clap targeted at the English batter for his tactics. 

As stumps were called on Day 3, the scenes at Lord's staged Gill getting into an argument with both the English openers. Moreover, Duckett was seen conversing with Mohammed Siraj while the opponents returned to the dressing room. Day 4 started on a fiery note, and Siraj struck early. The seamer removed Ben Duckett at 12 as the opener attempted a futile lap shot. Siraj gave a fiery send-off to Duckett, earning a warning from the on-field umpire.

Ollie Pope continued his disappointing streak of remaining impactless in the second innings, as Siraj trapped him in an LBW soon after, with Gill making a perfect DRS call at the behest of the pacer. Crawley concluded his uncomfortable stay at the crease when pace all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy claimed the opener at 22, with Yashasvi Jaiswal grabbing a stunner at the gully. Harry Brook launched a counterattack in the mid, going after Reddy and Akash Deep, as the middle-order batter hit a sixer and four boundaries.

However, Brook's confidence got the better of him as the batter departed attempting a premeditated sweep against Akash Deep. The Indian seamer, who had scalped 10 wickets in the Edgbaston Test, rattled the middle stump behind Brook, keeping the visitors well in the game. Ben Stokes and Joe Root were handed the strings of the innings as the senior duo threatened India with their 67-run partnership. However, the tides changed in the second session as Washington Sundar grabbed the limelight with his game-changing spell.

The spinner sent back Root and Stokes in quick succession before Bumrah removed the tailenders to bundle out England at 192. Sundar registered a 4/22 spell as India's turn to chase came in the last session. However, the start was not ideal for the visitors as opener Yashasvi Jaiswal fell quickly against Jofra Archer, attempting a reckless pull shot. Karun Nair followed soon after, as the final moments of the day steadily turned dreadful for India.

Ben Stokes mocks KL Rahul as India slip into England’s shoes on Day 4 of the Lord’s Test

Shubman Gill, the star leading the show against Crawley a day before, arrived at the crease. The Indian captain was tested early in his knock. Gill, who has scored the record-breaking tally of over 600 runs in the India vs England series so far, was mocked by Duckett. The England opener took a jab, sledging that 600 runs are enough for the Indian batter.

"600 runs and he's done for this series," Duckett said on the field. "600 runs are enough for this fella," he added.

The captain crumbled soon after as Brydon Carse trapped Gill in an LBW at just 6 off 9. As Gill went out, taking a review with himself, India sent Akash Deep as the night watchman. India's defensive move picked intense reactions from the English camp. Joe Root was seen amping up the crowd as Lord's quickly turned hostile to the visiting team in the concluding moments of Day 4 of the third India vs England Test.

Meanwhile, the scenes following soon after witnessed England emulating India's actions from the day before. The incident took place in the 17th over of India’s second innings when Akash Deep defended a probing delivery from Brydon Carse. Words were exchanged between the bowler and the batter, and Akash Deep’s reaction, waving Carse over, signaled an invitation for a confrontation.

KL Rahul stepped in, seemingly to ease tensions, but it was Stokes who intervened in a surprising manner. Walking over to the scene with exaggerated claps and deliberate gestures, the England skipper targeted Rahul with a display that appeared to mock the Indian opener. It was a clear callback to Shubman Gill’s animated clash with Zak Crawley the evening prior. The Lord's Test seems to have set an intense prelude for the upcoming matches in the series.

Earlier in the same over, play had been temporarily halted as Akash Deep called for treatment on his leg. The break, not unlike England’s own time-buying tactics on Day 3, prompted boos from the Lord’s crowd, who sensed a shift in momentum and growing gamesmanship from both sides. India, trailing by 193, didn’t seem rushed to resume proceedings.

Despite the delay and Rahul’s guarded presence at the crease, the final blow of the day came from Stokes himself. In the last over before stumps, the England captain dismissed Akash Deep, breaking India’s resistance. Although the nightwatchman had done his job of protecting the set batter, India would’ve ideally wanted him to return unbeaten to avoid exposing a fresh player, likely Rishabh Pant, at the start of the final day.