Day 4 of the third Test between India and England at Lord’s witnessed fresh drama as Akash Deep and England’s Harry Brook were involved in a tense exchange over time-wasting tactics in the dying minutes before stumps.
Earlier, Day 3 had already ended in controversy after Shubman Gill lashed out at Zak Crawley for pulling away repeatedly at the crease and allegedly eating up precious time. Gill, who was heard shouting “Grow some f***ing balls!” at Crawley, later termed England’s antics as “theatrics” in the press conference, though he admitted he understood the opener’s perspective.
On Day 4, with India still trailing and under pressure, Akash Deep took his time at the crease in the final overs, adjusting his gear and asking for strapping to his leg, visibly frustrating England. As Brook stood close-in, the delay and defensive approach from Akash Deep clearly irked him, and England players, including Stokes, clapped sarcastically at the batter while the crowd booed the slow proceedings.
At one point, Brydon Carse delivered a fiery over to Akash Deep, peppering him with quick deliveries and appealing loudly, while Brook and other fielders exchanged animated words with the Indian tailender, accusing him of deliberately dragging time to reach stumps.
Despite the heated exchanges, Akash Deep managed to hold his ground momentarily before eventually falling to Stokes on the last ball of the day. The confrontations added another layer of intensity to what has already been a fiery Test match between the two sides.
