Lords, July 14 (IANS) Tensions flared on Day 5 of the third Test between India and England at Lord’s after a heated collision between Ravindra Jadeja and English fast bowler Brydon Carse moments before lunch. The incident took place on the final ball of the 35th over of India’s second innings, during a tense run chase in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

Jadeja, attempting a quick two, collided with Carse while completing the first run. Both players had their eyes on the ball and didn’t notice each other’s path until it was too late. The collision led to an angry reaction from Carse, who shouted at Jadeja in frustration. The Indian all-rounder responded by trying to explain that he was simply running and unaware of the bowler’s position.

The situation quickly escalated when Carse appeared to reach out and grab Jadeja, prompting intervention from England captain Ben Stokes, who stepped in to calm his teammate. The on-field umpires also had a word with both Carse and Stokes to prevent the situation from getting out of hand.

This wasn’t the first heated exchange of the morning. Earlier in the day, Jofra Archer had a few words for Rishabh Pant after bowling him with a searing delivery. When Nitish Kumar Reddy came to the crease, Stokes and Harry Brook kept chirping at the young batter from close-in positions, trying to unsettle him in the high-pressure chase.

The Jadeja-Carse incident, however, stood out due to the physical nature of the collision and the reaction that followed. Speaking on air, former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar noted that Jadeja handled the situation maturely and also criticised Carse for what appeared to be a grab at Jadeja’s neck.

Earlier, on Monday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said Siraj was fined 15 per cent of his match fee for his aggressive celebration in Duckett’s face after dismissing him in the sixth over of day four’s play.

Siraj was also given one demerit point, which is his second offence after receiving a point in December 2024 following an altercation with Australia’s left-handed batter Travis Head.

At lunch, India were in deep trouble, needing 81 more runs with only two wickets in hand.

–IANS

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