The tension that had been simmering for three days at Lord’s finally boiled over late on Day 4, and Ben Duckett emerged as the unexpected firestarter. With India chasing 193 on a worn fourth-day pitch and pressure mounting, Duckett delivered a razor-sharp sledge that cut right through the Indian captain Shubman Gill’s composure.

Ben Duckett’s cutting remark rattles Shubman Gill on Day 4 of Lord’s Test

Just a day earlier, Shubman Gill had led a dramatic showdown against Zak Crawley for what the Indians deemed blatant time-wasting. Heated words were exchanged. “Grow some f***ing balls,” Gill had barked from slip cordon, and England had taken notes. So, when Gill walked in at 41/2 in the 13th over , a cauldron of noise around him and the pitch misbehaving, it wasn’t just Brydon Carse‘s pace he had to negotiate. England had something else waiting. After Gill safely negotiated his first ball, Duckett wandered in from backward point, looking calm and casual. Passing behind Gill, he let fly an icy line, audible on the stump mic:

“600 runs and he is done for this series. 600 runs is enough for this fella,” Duckett said.

Here’s the video:

🗣 “600 runs and he is done for the series.” #BenDuckett throws some cheeky comments while bowling, will #ShubmanGill silence him with a strong statement by tour’s end? 🤔

Will #TeamIndia seize control on Day 5 and take a 2-1 lead in this thrilling Test series? 🫣#ENGvIND 👉… pic.twitter.com/xNI6BDO8bz

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 13, 2025

It was a verbal dagger, referencing Gill’s phenomenal form earlier in the series , including his double century at Birmingham — but also sowing doubt. England knew the pressure of expectation could be their best weapon against a batter who was statistically dominating the tour. And the sledge worked like a charm.

Just a few deliveries later, Carse returned to bowl his third over, steaming in with renewed intent. He angled in a sharp nip-backer, and Gill, momentarily frozen, didn’t get his front foot out. The ball thudded into his pad with a thump that echoed across Lord’s. Umpire’s finger went up. Gill consulted KL Rahul and opted for a review. But technology showed no inside edge, three reds, and Gill walked back for just 6, outfoxed not only by skill, but also by psyche.

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India’s struggling at Lord’s against England

Gill’s dismissal plunged India to 58/4 , with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Gill and Akash Deep all back in the pavilion. Carse and Stokes had flipped the game within minutes. India, once chasing confidently, now teetered.

Earlier in the day, England had managed just 192 in their second innings, undone by Washington Sundar’s magical 4/22, including a peach to dismiss Joe Root for 40. India had matched England’s first innings score of 387, with Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja steadying the ship after Pant’s run-out. But the second innings turned wild. Gill’s dismissal was followed by Akash Deep’s fiery confrontation with Brydon Carse and eventual clean bowled by Stokes. India finished the day at 58/4 with Rahul unbeaten on 33, and Rishabh Pant expected to resume alongside him on Day 5.

Despite the low score in the second innings, Gill etched his name into the record books. His tally now stands at 606 runs in the series, surpassing Rahul Dravid’s 602 from the 2002 tour of England, now the most runs by an Indian batter in a Test series in England. Virat Kohli’s 593 in 2018 now sits third.

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