After his innings of 84, England’s opener Zak Crawley said he liked controversy at Lord’s and purposefully played the villain, setting the stage for England’s powerful response in Manchester.
When Indian captain Shubman Gill and Crawley got into a furious argument about how long it took the England batsmen to reach the crease after India was bowled on the third night at Lord’s, the tension reached a new level. Gill charged that England was trying to rekindle the rivalry between the two teams on the pitch by violating the spirit of the game.
“To be honest, I’ve always liked that aspect of cricket, particularly when you’re batting. ESPN cited Zak Crawley as saying, “They’re chirping you and trying desperately to get you out because it’s two of you against eleven.”
“I would probably overlook it most of the time, but occasionally I think it would be a fantastic opportunity to put it back on them. That brief eight-minute segment was fantastic. Nobody crossed the queue. I believed that everyone was cheerful. I had a great time playing competitive cricket,” he continued.
I’ve had higher expectations for myself: Crawley
During the incident at Lord’s, Zak Crawley denied purposefully stalling time or waiting for the umpires to step in. His century (124) against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge in May was followed by his second half-century of the series on July 24. Notably, he scored 84 runs, his greatest total against a World Test Championship opponent since he scored 189 at Old Trafford two years earlier against Australia.
“No, no. Absolutely not. Until the umpires leave, I remain where I am in the dressing room. I left after observing the umpires go. “I didn’t realise we were ninety seconds late, but that’s okay,” Zak Crawley remarked.
“I put a lot of effort into my game and hold myself to high standards. I constantly want more for myself, and in the past year or so, I have definitely wanted more for myself than I now have. It’s merely an internal issue. No one else is putting that much pressure on me. I simply believe that I owe myself a couple more strong performances. The practice and the more difficult periods are somewhat more worthwhile on days like today. I feel like I’ve worked hard and earned those runs, even if I obviously wanted more today,” he continued.
I batted with too little zeal: Zak Crawley
After a run of cheap dismissals early in the series, Crawley acknowledged that he had been practicing remaining calm at the crease. Aware of his recent slump in form, he clarified that in order to keep his calm during his innings and relieve physical tension, he concentrated on taking deep breaths before each delivery.
“There are moments when you’re searching for a bit too much. Although it appears very forceful, I really thought it was “too half-hearted.” I was happy to push my hands through it today when it was ready to strike. It’s challenging because of the large crowds, the lack of recent runs, and the tension you feel. When I’m completely at ease, I always perform at my best,” Crawley remarked.
“Whether it’s walking more slowly or something similar, there are small objects or triggers that you have in the centre that help you feel calm. At Edgbaston, I definitely didn’t perform as well. It was difficult for me to feel sharp because I was so exhausted when we were batting there. However, I was pleased with how much better I performed today,” he continued.
Ben Duckett relieves me of a lot of stress: Zak Crawley
Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett put together a 166-run opening partnership before losing to Ravindra Jadeja. It was their second of the series and their seventh opening pair partnership of 100 or more. Duckett scored a smooth 94, and Crawley said he was more than pleased to let him take the lead in their partnership.
He relieves me of a lot of pressure and is a terrific player. You can go about your business as he scores at a run-a-ball with ease. We discuss how we want to approach it a lot in the middle, and it’s clear that our height difference and left-right hand style can occasionally make it difficult for the bowlers when we’re both performing well at either end,” Zak Crawley said.
India
