India vs England: Shubman Gill scrutinised for his antics at the close of Day 3

The concluding moments of Day 3 of the Lord's Test staged what a red-ball fan sits waiting for across the five days of a match. The day saw the visitors leveling with the hosts in the third India vs England Test, managing 387, exactly what England scored batting first. With the match evenly poised and the third day of the proceedings swiftly nearing culmination, England's turn to bat again arrived. However, the English openers, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, looked anything but in the mood to face the Indian attack. Zak Crawley, quite apparently, tried everything to push the matters to the next day as the Indian captain, Shubman Gill, grew desperate to squeeze in at least two overs of play.

All that went down at Lord's on Day 3 of the third India vs England Test

Coming out to bat in the evening light, Zak Crawley took his stance against Jasprit Bumrah. However, the batter tried his all to make India's first over the last of the day. Crawley stalled Bumrah twice before facing the second delivery of the over. When Bumrah finally completed his run-up for the third time to bowl the same delivery, Crawley pulled back at the last moment. The batter threw his hands vaguely, signalling some disturbance at the sightscreen. However, everyone involved in the proceedings knew that Crawley's actions were nothing more than an attempt to waste time at the crease.

Crawley's antics enraged India's young Test captain, Shubman Gill. The 25-year-old batsman, who has otherwise emerged as a composed leader on the field, threw a barrage of vicious words at the England batter. With his hands making the gestures to back his verbal attack, Gill directed Crawley to, "grow some f****** ba**s,” loud enough for the stump mic to catch it clearly. At the next ball, Crawley copped a blow to his hand against Bumrah's delivery. The batsman was quick to halt the game yet again, undoing his gloves.

This time, the Indian players launched into slow clapping, directed as a sarcastic jab at Zak Crawley for his apparent acting. Shubman Gill took another step, getting close to the batsman and gesturing at the English dressing room. Both the players, in very close vicinity to each other, engaged in a fiery chat, throwing fingers at each other. Ben Duckett intervened before the on-field umpire separated the parties. The eventful over finally came to a close, with Zak Crawley walking back without even waiting for the official signal from the umpire.

Shubman Gill lands at the fraternity's radar for charging at Zak Crawley

The antics by Shubman Gill, however, have irked Jonathan Trott. In his way to stand up against England's tactics, Gill reminded Trott of a certain former Indian captain. Trott very well might have signalled at Virat Kohli, known for confronting such cheap tactics, irrespective of where his team was playing. Shubman Gill has propped up as yet another leader bold enough to challenge the opposition at their home, calling for the hosts to show up at the home of cricket.

The closing moments at Lord's have ensured that the live cricket score on the next day will remain as lively as the fire within both teams. While Gill might pick the apex council's ire for his show of aggression in the third India vs England match, Trott was rather quick in his judgement.

“We don’t know what went on when England were fielding, whether they were dishing it out. But I don’t like the acting from Shubman Gill, as a captain you set the tone. Pointing fingers and getting very confrontational, very much like a previous captain before getting in the face of the opposition. I am all for being competitive and being tough on the field, sometimes you have to rise above it. It sets up nicely for tomorrow’s play," Trott said.

The Lord's Test was evenly poised at the end of Day 3. Throwing all the tantrums from their bag onto the field, England managed to face just one over. With India leveling England's lead in the first innings, Day 3 of the India vs England Test concluded with the hosts mustering a 2-run lead. Earlier in the day, KL Rahul notched a century, his 10th Test ton, while Ravindra Jadeja scored yet another fighting fifty, his third consecutive half-century in this series. Furthermore, Rishabh Pant fell to a reckless run-out as he attempted to rotate the strike for Rahul to score his century before lunch was called.