'When you’re seeing 11 guys all come at your openers...': Ben Stokes justifies England’s ugly sledging at Lord’s
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The India vs England third Test at Lord's was not only the most exciting match in this series so far, but also it was witness to the intense drama between the players of the two teams. From verbal volleys to fiery send-offs, everything was witnessed at the 'home of cricket,' the Lord's.
The calm and composed players, who have been former teammates at times and have shared a wonderful spirit of the game, started to shift moods and strategies as the end of the test neared. Indian skipper Shubman Gill can be said to be the first player to bring aggression into the game.
This was followed by many incidents that turned the ground of Lord's into a battlefield until the end of the game, which England eventually won by 22 runs.
India vs England animated scenes at Lord's
The first of those incidents can be the verbal spat between English opener Zak Crawley and Indian captain Shubman Gill, who could be spotted pointing out a finger and hurling abuses at the batter, who intended to delay the day's play and keep it down to just one over.
During the incident, Shubman also engaged in a tussle with Ben Duckett. This was followed by Mohammed Siraj, who bumped shoulders with Duckett after dismissing the batter on Day 5. He has already been fined 15% of his match fees for this unwanted act.
This also led the English to bring out their tactics and mind games on the field, as Ben Stokes clapped at KL Rahul when India's nightwatchman Akash Deep adopted a similar match-delaying tactic like Crawley.
There were also continuous sledging remarks from Harry Brook to dismiss the Indian lower-order batter Nitish Kumar Reddy. Brydon Carse's clash with Ravindra Jadeja was also not met with much niceness by the Indian great.
Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer hint at hostilities ahead
"When you're watching your two opening batters go out there for an over, and you're seeing 11 guys all come at [them], that's going to bring out another side," said England skipper Ben Stokes in the post-match interview.
The subplot that made the Lord's Test a blockbuster - can we expect more of the same over the next two games?🔥
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 15, 2025
Read more: https://t.co/yIoGGuMmSJ | #ENGvAUS pic.twitter.com/vF6opnFWc7
"There was always going to be a moment in a series like this when it was going to implode. It wasn't really boiling up to it; it just sort of happened. But look, it adds to the spectacle of India vs England, doesn't it?" claimed the English skipper
"It makes for an even more exciting Test series," Gill said. "When you're in the heat of the moment, obviously there are so many emotions involved," India captain Shubman Gill showed his fiery side in the conference as well.
England head out as winners at the Lord's; Jadeja the lone warrior for India
England might have headed out of Lord's as the winners, but it is truly to be admitted that it was a splendid outing, and a wholesome participation from the Lord's crowd had made the test look even more exciting.
The English players were tested a lot by the Indian lower order in the final innings, as Ravindra Jadeja, the lone warrior for India, took India from 112/8 to 170 all out, batting alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
Even the likes of Zak Crawley, Joe Root, and Ben Stokes himself acknowledged Jadeja's splendid innings and also comforted Siraj for his heartbreak at Lord's.
The message from both captains seemed clear: neither of them wanted things to kick off like they did, nor do they have any such intention in the upcoming tests, but with the adrenaline playing a role here, fans can anticipate another blockbuster action at Manchester.
ALSO READ: Shubman Gill finally breaks silence on fight with Zak Crawley, England’s ugly sledging at Lord’s
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India National Cricket Team England National Cricket Team India vs England Mohammed Siraj Ravindra Jadeja Ben Stokes Shubman Gill Zak Crawley
