The England opener had managed only 128 runs in first three Tests.
England opener Zak Crawley has added fuel to the controversy, responding to Indian captain Shubman Gill’s comment over the debatable ‘Time Wasting’ incident on the third day of the Lord’s Test. Crawley asserted that “he wasn’t aware” of the time.
The drama unfolded with seven minutes left on Day 3 when England had to bat for a potential one over that was eventually left on one. India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was running full throttle to bowl the fourth ball of the over, but Crawley pulled out at the last moment, pointing out a distraction near the sight screen. He then called for medical attention after a ball that only grazed his gloves, leading to a heated exchange with Gill and visible frustration from the Indian players.
When asked about India captain’s claims, Crawley responded with a short but crisp answer. The right-hand batter stated that he wasn’t aware of the timing and followed the umpires to make his way into the middle.
“I wasn’t aware that we were 90 seconds late at Lord’s. We sit in our spot till the umpires go out,” said Crawley during the post-Day 3 press conference of the fourth Test at Old Trafford in Manchester.
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While addressing the pre-match press conference, Gill had cleared the air behind his animated reaction over the incident. The 25-year-old confirmed that the response came after England’s opener delayed his entry by 90 seconds. The Indian skipper called the incident ‘Out of Spirit of the Game’ and demanded a better strategy.
“A lot of people have been talking about it. So let me clear the air, once and for all. The English openers had seven minutes of play left that day [Day 3]. They were 90 seconds late to come to the crease. Not 10, not 20, but 90 seconds late. If we were in that position, we would also have liked to play lesser overs, but there is a manner to do it. Coming 90 seconds late to the crease is not something that comes under the spirit of the game”, said Gill on the matter.
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Crawley was struggling to find his rhythm since the start of the five-match Test series against India. As a result, the 27-year-old was under immense pressure to get some runs in his kitty. Before the fourth Test, He managed just 128 runs in six innings across the first three Tests. However, the England opener seems to have found his form. The right-hand batter amassed 84 runs off 113 balls with 13 fours and a six in the first innings of the Manchester Test.
In the process, he forged a 166-run partnership with Ben Duckett, striking at over 5.18 runs per over. This was the second fastest 100+ run partnership for the first wicket in Test cricket. Former Australian openers David Warner and Edward Cowan hold the record for the fastest 100+ run partnership for the first wicket. The duo recorded 214 runs off 233 balls in Perth in 2012, with runs coming at 5.51 runs per over.
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