While India and England continued to battle it out on the field, with the game now going into Day 5, off the field, it was a rib-tickling banter between former cricketers Ravi Shastri and Nasser Hussain, caused by a hilarious photo prank from Kevin Pietersen that entertained everyone.
All three are part of the commentary team for the Edgbaston Test. And while Shastri and Hussain have had their issues in the past – they were involved in an on-air heated argument during India’s 2011 tour of England – they have started to get along just fine recently.
Kevin Pietersen plays a hysterical prank
On his Twitter account, Shastri had posted a picture of some of the commentary panel, including himself, Pietersen, Kumar Sangakkara, Mark Butcher, Ian Ward and Mike Atherton.
However, Nasser Hussain was also present in the original picture – as Ian Ward posted – but he was cropped out in Shastri’s post and tagged everyone but Hussain! This led to rumours with things were still not well between the two.
A terrific blue day at Edgbaston for a great bloke who we lost. God bless his family and soul
#ENGvIND
— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) July 2, 2022
| Hilarious banter between Ravi Shastri and Nasser Hussain
Sky Sports then brought this up on air on Day 4 of the Test. A disheartened Hussain was heard saying: “I’ve just been cropped out of Ravi Shastri’s life, cancelled!”
This caused Pietersen to bellow with laughter. Finally, it was revealed that it was Pietersen who had actually pranked the two commentators by cropping Hussain out of Shastri’s post. Shastri and Pietersen then also had a hilarious moment that sent the former England batter in riotous laughter.
You can check out the hilarious video here:
“I’ve just been cropped out of Ravi Shastri’s life, cancelled!”
Ravi (or was it?
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 3, 2022
) broke Nasser’s heart 
The real culprit
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 3, 2022
Hearing Hussain’s complaints about him being cropped out of Shastri’s post, the former India head coach then posted another picture of the trio, but Hussain didn’t smile in this one.
“This is a @nassercricket appreciation tweet. Still grumpy just about to smile. Trickster at the back,” Shastri tweeted with a photo of the three commentators.
This is a @nassercricket appreciation tweet.
Still grumpy just about to smile. Trickster at the back @KP24 @SkySports #EngvsInd pic.twitter.com/ZdjnMu1ywu
— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) July 4, 2022
— Kevin Pietersen
(@KP24) Meanwhile, on the field, it is England who have their noses much ahead in the game by the end of Day 4. Chasing a target of 378, the hosts have already cut down 259 of it in 57 overs (run rate of 4.54) with only three wickets down.
Their two most in-form batsmen, Joe Root (76*) and Jonny Bairstow (72*), have shared an unbeaten 150-run partnership off 197 balls and England now needs 119 runs more to level the series 2-2 and retain the Pataudi Trophy.
India will have to work hard and smart, and, honestly, will really need a miraculous turnaround on Day 5 if they are to win their first Test series in England since 2007.
