Former India head coach Ravi Shastri firmly defended Shubman Gill after England bowling coach Tim Southee accused the Indian skipper of double standards on Sunday. The incident took place during the final moments of Day 3 in the third Test at Lord’s. Southee had criticised Gill for lashing out at Zak Crawley, claiming it was hypocritical since Gill himself received treatment on the field a day earlier.

What Sparked the Clash

Saturday's drama unfolded in the final over of play, right after India equalled England’s first-innings score of 387. Jasprit Bumrah opened England’s second innings with Zak Crawley on strike. But Crawley twice pulled away just as Bumrah was about to deliver the ball, triggering a heated response from Gill. Cameras caught him shouting expletives at Crawley and confronting him directly during the over.

The tension escalated further when Crawley hurt his fingers defending a delivery. He removed his gloves and called for medical attention, which only made the Indian side more agitated. The players believed Crawley was trying to waste time and avoid facing the over under fading light.

Southee Accuses Gill of Hypocrisy

After the day's play, Tim Southee addressed the media and defended his team’s actions. “I’m not sure what they were complaining about when Shubman Gill was lying down getting a massage in the middle of the day yesterday. It’s part of the game near the end of the day,” Southee said, implying Gill was being hypocritical by questioning Crawley’s actions.

Shastri Defends Gill’s Aggression

Speaking to Sky Cricket on Sunday morning, Shastri dismissed Southee’s criticism. He explained that such charged moments were a natural part of high-stakes cricket. “If I were wearing the Indian hat, I would have done all that. We call that tamasha. All that is allowed and you want all that. You can't just have ‘Good morning...good evening’ and go home. A little bit of argy-bargy is okay as long as you don't cross the line,” he said.