Shubman Gill of India talks with Umpire Sharfuddoula about an issue with the ball during Day One of the Test Match at Lord's (Image by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
The third Test between India and England at Lord’s has already delivered plenty of action on Day 1, with a mix of sharp bowling, injury concerns and on-field banter adding to the drama. India’s Nitish Kumar Reddy struck early to stun the English top order, removing Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett in the same over. The double blow slowed down England’s scoring rate and shifted the momentum towards the visitors. Amid the tension, India captain Shubman Gill provided a moment of light-hearted humour. As England batters became more cautious and began leaving more deliveries, Gill took a playful dig. When one such ball from Jasprit Bumrah was left alone, Gill was heard saying, “No more entertaining cricket boys.
Welcome back to the boring Test cricket,” in a moment shared on Star Sports’ X handle.
EXCLUSIVE: Shubman Gill-led Team India had a fun evening in London
At the time, England’s run rate had dipped to 2.95, uncharacteristic of the Bazball era. In fact, this is just the second time in 72 innings under Ben Stokes’ leadership that England have gone at under 3 runs per over in the first 40 overs of a Test innings. Meanwhile, India were dealt a scare as wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant appeared to injure his finger during the session. The vice-captain chipped his index finger and receieved icing in the dressing room. There is no major concern for the 27-year-old. At tea, England were 153/2,looking to rebuild with Joe Root and Ollie Pope at the crease, as both sides continue to fight for control in this evenly poised Test.