India vs England: Former Indian cricketers calls out England's cheap tactics

Former Indian cricketer Farokh Engineer did not mince words as he lashed out at Zak Crawley and the England team, accusing them of "cheating" during the closing moments of Day 3 at Lord’s. The 87-year-old, who witnessed the drama unfold from the stands on Saturday, expressed his disappointment with what he perceived as deliberate time-wasting tactics by the hosts, sharply criticizing their much-hyped Bazball style for lacking sportsmanship in that instance. After India bowled England out for 387 and levelled the score in their own first innings, England came out to bat again in the final six minutes of the day’s play.

However, instead of a spirited show of intent, the session took an unusual turn. Zak Crawley, England’s opener, found himself at the centre of the controversy. He delayed taking strike, pulled away from the crease multiple times without clear reason, and eventually summoned the physio after a delivery hit his glove. These antics drew criticism from fans and experts alike, with Engineer calling it an unnecessary and unsporting tactic meant to disrupt India's momentum. The episode sparked fresh debates about Bazball's intent and integrity in tight-match situations, putting England’s aggressive philosophy under renewed scrutiny.

Zak Crawley’s actions visibly disrupted the flow of play, leading to rising tensions on the field. The Indian players, clearly frustrated by the repeated delays and time-wasting tactics, began to lose their composure as tempers flared in the final moments of Day 3. Former cricketer Farokh Engineer didn’t hold back in his criticism of England’s approach, calling their end-of-day strategy “unsporting” and out of line with the spirit of cricket. He pointed out the irony in England’s tactics, stating that such gamesmanship contradicts the very essence of  Bazball — a philosophy that claims to bring flair, freedom, and fairness back into the game.

“English people will call it professionalism, but I would call it cheating. That was time-wasting tactics. They did not want to face another over, which was very obvious. He could have been discreet about it, but he made it look so obvious. That wasn’t very fair. But who knows? I don’t think our batsmen would have done such a blatant thing. The headline is it’s not cricket,” stated former Indian cricketer Farokh Engineer.

“This Bazball is all bundlebaz. They can do Bazball against Bangladesh or Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. Against India, they cannot do that, and I have always said that in the past. I wish they had adopted Bazball (during my playing days), we would have won the series by now,” he added. 

Ironically, the sharp criticism came from Farokh Engineer, a former cricketer known for his own aggressive style of play. His comments came as a surprise to some, considering England’s approach under head coach Brendon McCullum has largely been about revolutionizing Test cricket with attacking flair. However, the numbers from the ongoing Test told a different story. In their first innings at Lord’s, England posted a modest run rate of just 3.44 — a stark contrast to their usual Bazball tempo. They managed only 241 runs across the entire Day 1, marking their lowest single-day total since McCullum took over the reins.