England, India in heated dressing room bust-up

Players from England and India were reportedly involved in an angry confrontation in the Lord’s long room during last week’s second Test.

According to The Telegraph, there were “tense scenes” at the conclusion of the third day’s play, following repeated short pitched bowling by Jasprit Bumrah at England tailender James Anderson.

The report says England captain Joe Root and opposite number Virat Kohli exchanged words as the situation threatened to get out of control.

“Confrontations in the Lord’s Long Room – the hallowed inner sanctum of English cricket – are almost unheard of,” the Telegraph said.

Because of coronavirus restrictions, the Long Room, which is normally packed with members, was instead being used as the player’s dining room during the match.

England won the Test by 151 runs, in an ill-tempered affair.

“It just showed this team is not going to back down and take a backward step when provoked,” Kohli said. “What is said on the field, and what’s done in the moment, gives you extra motivation, as I said after the game, to get together as a team even more strongly.”

Speaking after the match, Anderson took aim at Bumrah’s tactics.

“I got caught off guard a little bit because all the batters coming in were saying how slow the pitch was. Banged in short; it was really slow. When I came out to bat, Joe Root said Bumrah was not bowling as quick as he normally does,” Anderson said on the BBC Tailenders Podcast.

“And then, the first ball was 90 miles an hour and on the money, wasn’t it? And it felt like, I haven’t felt like this ever in my career. I felt he wasn’t trying to get me out.

“He bowled an over, maybe 10, 11, 12 balls (it was 10). He was bowling no-ball after no-ball, bowling short. I think he bowled two on the stumps which I managed to dig out.”

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