Shubman Gill punished for Umpire fight over Dukes ball

Former England captain Nasser Hussain has slammed Team India skipper Shubman Gill's decision to change the ball on Day 2 of the third Test match at Lord's on Friday, July 11. Hussain also said that India should not have requested a ball change, calling it “one of the most bizarre decisions.”

India opted for the second new ball during the final session on Day 1 after 80.1 overs. However, that ball was replaced just 10.3 overs later on the second day. Shubman Gill appeared frustrated with the replacement ball and engaged in a lengthy, animated conversation with the umpire about it.

Also Read: Real villain behind Shubman Gill's KKR exit OUT in public

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It Was Doing More Than at Any Stage - Nasser Hussain

Nasser Hussain admitted that he was baffled by Shubman Gill’s animated reaction when the umpires initially refused to change the ball. Hussain pointed out that Jasprit Bumrah was in top form with the second new ball, which had been behaving better than at any other point in the match.

"The ball was doing everything this morning. The ball they had for 63 deliveries was zipping around corners. Bumrah was going through a magic spell, Siraj at the other end was having catches dropped," Hussain said on commentary for Sky Sports (via Neyfiction/X).

"The ball was carried through to the wicketkeeper. It was doing everything. It was doing more than at any stage in the Test match. I cannot work out why you want to change a ball that was doing this much," he added.

BCCI's dirty and filthy *tactics* are getting belted 🍿 pic.twitter.com/B1AE7lKHkd

— ARNOLD (@Neyfiction) July 11, 2025

It Was One of the Most Bizarre Decisions - Nasser Hussain on Shubman Gill

Nasser Hussain said that India decided to change the ball after just 63 deliveries, calling it “one of the most bizarre decisions.” The cricketer-turned-commentator said that Dukes balls can be unpredictable, and the captain should stick with one when it is performing well.

"63 deliveries of the ball zipping around. Not only did they want it changed, but the captain (Shubman Gill) got really animated when they didn't change it. I thought it was one of the most bizarre decisions," Hussain continued.

"You got a ball in your hand that is doing a lot. We all know these Dukes balls are variable. I thought it was a really odd thing. A for India to do, B then to get really animated and C, now to say 'the ball we got is no good'. Don't change the good one."

Jasprit Bumrah Unplayable with Second New Ball on Day 2 Morning

Jasprit Bumrah was unplayable with the second new ball on the morning of Day 2. He took three wickets in the span of just 14 deliveries. During the 91st over, Mohammed Siraj and Shubman Gill approached the umpire to report that the ball had gone out of shape.

The umpires replaced the ball after it couldn't pass through the gauge. However, the new ball lost shape after just 48 deliveries and had to be replaced again. England were dismissed for 387 in their first innings.

Bumrah was the pick of the bowlers for India with a five-wicket haul, while Joe Root brought up his eighth Test century at Lord’s. By the end of Day 2, India were 145 for 3, with KL Rahul (53) and Rishabh Pant (19) at the crease.

Also read: 'Joe Root hits another hundred while Virat Kohli dyes his beard': Twitter reacts to England star's 37th Test ton