“You’re seeing all 11 guys come at them” - Ben Stokes reveals how England came out of its shell after India’s sledging on Day 3

England captain Ben Stokes has revealed that the English opening batters Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett were cornered by 11 Indian players on the third day of the Lord’s Test, which England won by 22 runs. Stokes added that England came out of its shell after that on-field heated moment. 

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Moving into the details, the Shubman Gill-led Indian team came out to bowl at least two overs on the third day before stumps. However, Crawley decided to waste a lot of time, which didn’t go down well with Gill, who hurled expletives at the opener. Moreover, other Indian players also went hard at the opener, which didn’t please Stokes.

"When you're watching your two opening batters go out there for an over, and you're seeing 11 guys all come at [them], that's going to bring out another side,” Ben Stokes said.

"We all came together as a group yesterday, and said, 'we're a bit too nice'", Jofra Archer, who played a key role in the fourth innings, said.

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"When we go to other places, some teams aren't as nice to us as we are to them. I guess we just tried to shift it," he added.

On the other hand, when the Indian skipper Gill was asked about the heated on-field moments, he stated there would always be mutual admiration between both sides when they step on to the field next time.

“You're giving everything. Mentally, physically, everything. There would be times where there would be a little bit of heat from both sides. But I think that's what makes it so exciting. That's what makes it more challenging,” Gill stated.

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“At the end of the day, there's a lot of admiration within two teams. Both the teams try their best to be able to win a match and perform. There can be moments where there would be some kind of heat. You're in the moment. That's what makes it more exciting,” he added.

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