India were cruising at 248/3 on day three of the Lord’s Test when a moment of hesitation resulted in the untimely dismissal of Rishabh Pant, ending a flourishing 141-run partnership with KL Rahul on the stroke of lunch. Pant, battling a finger injury, was run out following a sharp direct hit from Ben Stokes, giving England a much-needed boost going into the break.
London: India's batter Rishabh Pant tries to reach the crease during the third day of the third Test match between India and England(PTI)
Pant had played through immense pain after being hit on his injured left index finger during England's first innings. Despite discomfort, he remained aggressive, even launching Ben Stokes for a six to bring up his half-century. With lunch approaching, he looked set to carry on alongside Rahul, who was inching closer to his second century of the series. But a rushed single off Shoaib Bashir proved costly.
Pant pushed the ball to cover point, hesitated, and then committed, but Stokes’s precise throw caught him well short of the non-striker's end. The decision to take the run was largely inspired by Rahul reaching closer to his century mark; it was the final over before lunch, and the batter would've wanted to reach the landmark ton in the same session.
Former India captain Anil Kumble, speaking to JioHotstar, criticised the timing and judgment behind the run.
"I think initially Rishabh Pant called and then hesitated, thinking that there was no run. And then KL was off the blocks straight away. So Rishabh Pant’s initial hesitation probably delayed his response. And then he had to take off because KL was just running straight through and on target. This was unnecessary, for sure, because you could have just blocked the next three balls, gone to lunch, and then do whatever you had to, or continued the great work that both these batters did in that first session," said Kumble.
Pant departed for 74 off 112 balls, having fought through pain and added urgency to India’s innings. The nature of the dismissal drew scrutiny not just because of its timing but because of how avoidable it was, especially with lunch just three deliveries away.
“This wasn't needed. Joe Root had to wait for one night. He was on 99, he had to come back the next day. They had done so well; it was a fantastic partnership. It allowed England some confidence going into the second session,” said Kumble further.
KL Rahul, who was on 98 at the break, managed to get to his century in the second session. But soon after reaching the milestone, he too was dismissed for 100, falling to Bashir after a lapse in concentration. The two dismissals marked a turning point in what had otherwise been a commanding start to the day for India.
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