Zak Crawley Embraces Villain Role After Lord’s Timewasting Row with India

Zak Crawley has relished his role in the recent on-field tensions with India, describing the eight-minute timewasting incident at Lord’s as “competitive cricket” and revealing he enjoyed playing the pantomime villain during England’s ongoing Test series.

Crawley was at the centre of a fiery exchange with India captain Shubman Gill on the third evening at Lord’s. The flashpoint came as Crawley ran the clock down late in the day, prompting Gill to accuse England of breaching the "spirit of the game" and to bluntly tell Crawley to “grow some f***ing balls.” The pair exchanged heated words, but Crawley has since shrugged off the confrontation.

“I've always enjoyed that part of cricket, to be honest,” Crawley said after scoring 84 in England’s first innings at Old Trafford. “There’s two of you against eleven and they’re desperate to get you out, and they’re chirping you. Most of the time I’d let it slide, but other times, I feel like it’s a good chance to put it back on them. I loved that little eight-minute passage. No one stepped over the line—it was just competitive cricket, and I really enjoyed it.”

Gill had also claimed that England’s openers were 90 seconds late to the crease, but Crawley denied any deliberate delay. “I wasn’t aware we were late. I sit in my spot until the umpires go out, and then I walk. Fair enough if it was a bit slow, but there was no intention.”

Crawley’s innings of 84 on Thursday was his second fifty of the series, following a string of low scores—19, 0, 18, and 22—in the previous Tests. It was also his highest score against top-tier opposition since his 189 against Australia at Old Trafford in 2023.

"I have high standards for myself, and I work very hard in my game," he said. "I always want more from myself than I’ve got in the last year or so. It’s not external pressure—it’s internal. I owe it to myself to have a few more good performances. Days like today make the tough times worth it."

Crawley explained that his recent dip in form was caused by being “too half-hearted” in his shot selection, adding that he had worked on staying more relaxed at the crease. “Sometimes it looks too aggressive, but actually, in my mind, it was too tentative,” he said. “Today I was pleased that when it was there to hit, I committed to it.”

Throughout his innings, Crawley used deep breaths and deliberate movements to stay calm. “You get tense—big crowds, haven’t had many runs of late,” he said. “I always play my best when I’m relaxed.”

Crawley’s 166-run opening stand with Ben Duckett laid the foundation for England’s strong position in the fourth Test. It was their fifth century partnership as a pair, and the second of this series.

“Ben’s a phenomenal player,” Crawley said. “He takes a lot of pressure off me. He scores effortlessly, and that lets me go about my game. We talk a lot in the middle about how we want to approach things, and our height and left-right combo probably makes things tricky for the bowlers.”

Crawley was eventually dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja, caught by KL Rahul at slip. Still, his confident return to form, both with the bat and in handling India’s sledging, suggests he may yet play another pivotal role in the remainder of this fiercely contested series.