Ever since India skipper Shubman Gill understandably got hot under the collar at the delaying tactics of the English openers, the verbals have been flying thick and fast as players from both teams have had a go at each other
India skipper Shubman Gill (right) and England opener Zak Crawley (third from right) exchange words towards the end of Day Three of the third Test at Lord’s, London, recently. PIC/Getty Images
By the time you read this, one of the most riveting of Test series could probably be over. Not for a long, long time have two well-matched teams squared up against each other and gone toe to toe and nose to nose as these two teams have. The batting has been of the highest quality, though admittedly, with both teams being a bit short on wicket-taking bowlers, the scores in the first four Test matches on slow batting surfaces have been on a high side.
Most grassy Oval pitch
Then came the Oval Test, and in all my trips to England, where I played or saw some cricket, never has there been a grassier surface at the Oval than in this Test match. No wonder the batters were found out and those who got fifties can well pat themselves on the backs as these half-centuries were the equivalent of a Test century at the other venues in this series.
The series which was played in a good spirit in the first two games descended into an ugly battle of verbals when the young Indian skipper understandably got hot under the collar at the delaying tactics of the English openers who ensured that only one over was bowled instead of the two that the Indians were expecting to bowl.
Since then, the verbals have been flying thick and fast as players from both teams have had a go at each other. In recent times, thanks mainly to the Indian Premier League where players from different countries play for the same franchise and spend a couple of months travelling the length and breadth of India, this animosity between teams has almost disappeared even as the intensity has not reduced even a tiny bit. After all, playing for your country is the ultimate honour.
Less English players in IPL
So, why has it not gone only when India is playing against England? The short easy answer is that there aren’t that many English players in the IPL and those who are there are mainly white-ball players. Have a look at the guys having a go at the Indians and without exception none of them are playing in the IPL. Australia and South Africa are supposed to be two teams who never even give a smile on the field and were generally snarling at the opponents.
In the last decade and more, the chirping when playing the Indians has hardly been heard and even in the closest and tightest of contests the players have hardly exchanged a nasty word. Maybe if there are more English players in the IPL this animosity will be a thing of the past but with the English international season starting around the third week of May where they have to be back in England, the franchises do not want to take a chance of missing English players at a crucial stage in the competition.
The first two days of the final Test has already seen some skirmishes and by the time the series ends there could be a few more especially if the match goes down to the wire. That would be a sad ending for it would be the best thing for Test cricket if this magnificent series is remembered for the splendid cricket and not for the condemnable curses.
Professional Management Group
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