Ex-ENG Player Slams India's Breaks: 'My Mates Didn't Pay £85 To Watch Grass…' – News18

Former England international-turned-commentator David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd was not pleased with the Indian team’s multiple breaks during the second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Edgbaston, saying his mates hadn’t bought the tickets to ‘watch the grass grow’. He pointed at Ravindra Jadeja taking two breaks and even urged the ICC to make a rule where a ‘new batter’ would come in if one on the pitch is injured.
India dominated the proceedings on the second day of the Test. Shubman Gill’s double-century led them to 587/10 before the pacers reduced England to 77/3 at Stumps. Jadeja played a key role for the visitors, scoring 89 (137), and drew some more-than-usual attention from Ben Stokes and Co. for his on-pitch antics.
“Only 15 minutes into the second morning, Jadeja stopped the game, had a drink and took a couple of pills, after being struck on the hand," Lloyd wrote in his column for the Daily Mail. “After 40 minutes, he took another break. The umpires appear powerless. No wonder we keep losing overs. Surely, the officials should exercise their authority or have a directive from the ICC that any injury be treated off the field while a new batter comes out. Keep the game moving. Get on with it. My mates in the Eric Hollies haven’t paid £85 (around INR 9,900) to watch the grass grow," he added.
Stokes was particularly unhappy seeing Jadeja step into the ‘danger zone’ of the pitch while batting and complained to the umpires several times. Lloyd took it on a lighter note, saying he’d have done the same.
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“I was so interested watching the histrionics of Ravindra Jadeja, the experienced street fighter of this India team, during the morning session," Lloyd added. “He’s going to be bowling last on this pitch, and he obviously wants something to aim at, so nearly every other delivery in his innings of 89, he was down the pitch, banging it with his bat, scratching about with his feet. This is a very dry pitch, and it will spin big time later in the game. Well done, Ravi. I’d have done the same."
The Edgbaston pitch has behaved like a flat road so far but Jadeja would hope to get some turn out of it on the last two days.
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