KL Rahul Defends Fired-Up Shubman Gill And India After Zak Crawley’s Delay: ‘It’s Just Part Of The Game Now’

KL Rahul calls the Shubman Gill–Zak Crawley incident at Lord’s "part of the game," downplaying the heated exchange that went viral during the 3rd Test.

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In a heated end to Day 3 of the third Test between India and England at Lord’s, drama unfolded as Indian opener Shubman Gill lashed out at England’s Zak Crawley over perceived time-wasting tactics. While the moment caught fire across social media and sparked debate, Indian senior batter KL Rahul played down the controversy, calling it “just part of the game now.”

What Happened?

With just minutes left before stumps, Zak Crawley appeared to delay play by calling the physio and taking extra time to prepare for the final overs. The deliberate slowdown seemed to frustrate the Indian players, especially Shubman Gill, who was caught on the stump mic telling Crawley to “grow some f***ing balls.”

The incident quickly became viral online, with fans dubbing it “absolute cinema” and a glimpse of raw Test match intensity.

KL Rahul’s Calm Reaction

Speaking to the media post-play, KL Rahul acknowledged the intensity of the moment but offered a pragmatic take:

"What happened at the end is just part of the game now. "I understand from an opening batter's point of view. I know exactly what was going on, and everyone knows exactly what was going on. But an opening batter will understand completely what happened in the last five minutes. We wanted to bowl two overs. There were six minutes left. It is a no-brainer that any team will bowl two overs with six minutes to go, but it was a bit of theatrics at the end. A wicket at the end of the day's play would've been perfect for us. Tomorrow, even without that, I think we would've been fired up anyway,” Rahul said.
Rahul admitted that while the Indian camp was fired up, the final-over antics didn’t cross any lines in his view. He added that such moments of emotional spike are not uncommon in a closely contested Test series.

Crawley’s Tactics or Strategy?

While Crawley didn’t publicly address the issue, England’s coaching consultant Tim Southee hinted that both teams have been indulging in subtle gamesmanship throughout the series. He pointed to India’s repeated ball changes and slow-over rates as examples of similar tactics. He added that the overall time delays have impacted the match flow, with up to 32 overs lost during the Test so far.