Zak Crawley says the short, testy spell at Lord’s that drew accusations of time-wasting from Shubman Gill was “just competitive cricket”, and, after a lean run, he backed up the words with a purposeful 84 on day one in Manchester.
England reached 219 for 2 by the close, Crawley and Ben Duckett putting on 166 for the first wicket. Play was calm; the build-up less so. At Lord’s five days earlier Crawley had been told to “grow some f*ing balls” by Gill while the opener lingered a touch too long in the pavilion. The India captain later accused England of ignoring “the spirit of the game”.
Crawley, though, sees little to fret about. “I’ve always enjoyed that part of cricket, to be honest, especially when you’re batting,” he said. “There’s two of you against eleven and they’re desperate to get you out, and they’re chirping you. Most of the time, I’d probably let it slide, and then other times, I feel like it’s a good chance to put it back on them. I loved that little eight-minute passage. No-one stepped over the line. I thought everyone was in good spirits. It was just competitive cricket, and I really enjoyed it.”
Gill had hinted the delay was deliberate; Crawley rejects that. “No, no. Not at all. I sit in my spot until the umpires go out. I saw the umpires go, and I walked out. I wasn’t aware that we were 90 seconds late, but fair enough.”
The words might have lingered, yet Crawley’s bigger concern was runs. Since a century against Zimbabwe in May he had managed 59 in four knocks versus India. Thursday’s 84 was his best against a World Test Championship side since that 189 against Australia two summers ago at this same ground.
“I have high standards for myself, and I work very hard in my game,” he explained. “I always want more for myself, and I’ve certainly wanted more for myself than I’ve got in the last year or so. That’s just an internal thing. I don’t feel that pressure from anyone else.
“I just feel like I owe it to myself to have a few more good performances. Days like today make the practice and the tougher times worth it a bit more. Obviously, I wanted more runs today, but I feel like I’ve worked hard and earned those runs.”
His recent dismissals – chips to mid-wicket, loose drives – have looked casual. Crawley thinks the opposite: too tentative. “Sometimes you’re looking for something a little bit too much… It looks too aggressive, but in my mind, actually, I was like, ‘Too half-hearted.’ I was pleased today that when it was there to hit, I put my hands through it.”
To keep tension at bay he used a simple routine: “I took deep breaths before facing up, just to take the tension out. It’s hard: the big crowds, haven’t had loads of runs of late, you get a bit tense. I always play my best when I’m really relaxed.
“There are little things, little triggers that you have in the middle that make you feel relaxed, whether it be walking slower or anything like that… I certainly didn’t do it as well at Edgbaston. I was absolutely knackered when we were batting.”
England’s dressing-room view, privately at least, is that Crawley’s method will always bring the odd ugly dismissal; the pay-off is days like these, when he dices the in-field and leaves bowlers searching for length. Duckett’s own fluent 77 meant the home side made the most of benign conditions before late cloud cover helped India prise out both openers.
There is, nevertheless, a series to win and tempers to keep in check. India have spoken of Lord’s; Crawley would rather they move on quickly. “We want hard cricket, nothing more,” is the message out of the England camp.
Friday brings fresh weather and a fresh ball for India. England, minus two wickets, have Joe Root and Ollie Pope in. Crawley will watch from the balcony, knowing an 84 is useful but not conclusive proof that his form is back. Still, he has that “little eight-minute passage” on replay in his mind, and a hint he might press play again if circumstances demand.