• Home
  • Who Said What
  • Stokes Root Dont Play Ipl Gavaskar Explains Heated Drama On Day 3 At Lords

"Stokes, Root Don't Play IPL": Gavaskar Explains Heated Drama On Day 3 At Lord's

Soumyajit Dutta

Sunil Gavaskar [Source: @Pandeyshruti252/X.com]Sunil Gavaskar [Source: @Pandeyshruti252/X.com]

The third day of the decisive third Test between India and England concluded in fiery fashion at Lord's. With the scores level after both first innings and just minutes remaining, India captain Shubman Gill launched a verbal attack at England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett. 

The flashpoint came after Crawley repeatedly pulled away before facing Jasprit Bumrah, actions Gill perceived as deliberate time-wasting. Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar cracked the debacle while connecting it with a unique IPL connection.

Gavaskar Decodes Animosity Between India And England

Sunil Gavaskar suggested the animosity between the players stemmed from limited IPL participation by English players.

"England wants to make it the last over. The Indians thought it was may bit of gamesmanship. Maybe it was," Sunil Gavaskar said during commentary.

Gavaskar elaborated that the English players didn't share dressing rooms with the Indian players in the IPL which might be the reason for the heated debacle.

“There’s a reason behind the on-field intensity between India and England, not many England players are part of the IPL. That’s what I believe. From this current England team, players like Joe Root and Ben Stokes didn’t feature in the IPL,” Gavaskar added.

Dressing Room Bond Reason Behind Escalated Tempers

Gavaskar then stressed the IPL's role in easing tensions on-field even after the mega-tournament is over and players are representing their countries on the field.

“With other teams, many players share dressing rooms with Indians during the IPL, travel together, and bond. Earlier, before the IPL, there was a lot of animosity, almost brutal at times, between certain players. That tension still exists, like when Archer bowls to Yashasvi. The confrontations persist because England players aren’t as involved in the IPL,” Gavaskar concluded.

The incident overshadowed a day where England finished at 2/0 in their second innings, holding a slender two-run lead after both teams scored 387 in their first innings. Day 4 promises packed action as India would like to bundle the hosts to chase the target by Day 5.