LORD’S TEST
Pant was run out for 74 while trying to put Rahul back on strike © Getty
KL Rahul admitted that the timing and nature of Rishabh Pant’s dismissal at the stroke of lunch on the third day of the Lord’s Test was “not ideal” for India’s push to claim ascendancy.
The visitors had begun the day 242 runs behind England’s first-innings score, but Rahul and Pant, through their 141-run stand, had cut the deficit to 140 before trouble struck. In the last over before the interval, Pant was run out for 74 while trying to put Rahul back on strike to complete his hundred.
“There was a conversation a couple of overs before that,” Rahul said. “I told him that I will get my hundred if possible before lunch. And with Bashir bowling that last over before lunch, I thought there’s a good chance for me to get it, but, yeah, unfortunately I hit straight to the fielder.
“It was a ball that I could have hit for a boundary. Then he just wanted to rotate strike and see if he could put me back on strike. But, yeah, it shouldn’t have happened: a run-out at that stage really changed the momentum. It was disappointing for both of us. Obviously, nobody wants to throw their wicket like that,” Rahul added.
Rahul went on to complete his milestone after lunch but fell immediately after bringing up his 10th Test hundred, as India slipped to 254 for 5. It left India with self-inflicted wounds in their bid to seize a lead, and it took another Ravindra Jadeja performance just to draw level with England’s first-innings score. On a pitch showing signs of uneven bounce, India would likely have been in a stronger position without those unforced errors.
“Of course there’s a little bit of disappointment because till just before tea time we were in a really good position,” Rahul said. “Me and Rishabh had that long partnership and then we both got out… he got out just before lunch and I got out just after lunch. That wasn’t ideal. You had set batters in the top five who had gotten off to starts, so ideally you want one of them or both to go on and get a big score, that’s how you get ahead in a Test match.”
On a personal note, Rahul continued his strong series, backing up his century in Leeds and a half-century in Birmingham. He attributed his consistency to mental drills developed through work with a specialist, the kind of reaction-time training used by Formula 1 drivers.
“In the last year or so, I’ve worked on a few mental drills. I spent a bit of time with an expert who helped me with improving my reaction time. These are mental games that help you get better with reaction time and things like that,” Rahul explained.
“I think a lot of other sports use it… I’ve seen this in Formula 1 quite a lot. I picked this up from one of the guys I worked with in Salzburg. I’m closely associated with Red Bull, so I had the opportunity to go there and work with some of the coaches. They work with elite Formula 1 guys and other adventure sports people who require a lot of this mental side of the game.
“So I’ve worked on that and I guess that’s the only thing that’s been different in the last year or so. I’ve always enjoyed batting long periods of time, even when I was growing up. I always enjoyed batting long hours and I could focus for long hours. I think a bit of that and a bit of this has just helped me in the last few years.”
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