INDIA TOUR OF ENGLAND, 2025
Rishabh Pant’s run-out on the brink of Lunch came as a blemish in what was otherwise a good session for India © Getty
KL Rahul (98 not out) and Rishabh Pant (74) shared a 141-run stand to help India make steady progress in the morning session on Day 3 of the third Test at the Lord’s. The wicket offered next to nothing to the bowlers, but the fourth-wicket pair showed immaculate discipline in the first 30 minutes to respect the good balls before the runs began to flow for India. Batting with an injury to his dominant hand, Pant claimed the joint record for highest number of fifties by a visiting wicketkeeper in England, while Rahul inched closer to his second century of the series as India moved along to 248/4, losing the former to an avoidable run-out at the stroke of Lunch.
Jofra Archer erred in his line right way and Pant flicked him to the fine leg fence to get going on the third morning, before dancing down the track to slash one over the infield and make it an expensive opening over. Archer quickly course-corrected and consistently hit speeds of 140+ kmph in his second over to keep the batters in check. For a 31-ball period thereon, India didn’t manage a single run off the bat.
Rahul then broke the shackles and raced into the 70s with a flurry of boundaries. First-change bowler Brydon Carse came in the firing line with the two leg-side freebies clipped to the deep square leg fence and a short-and-wide delivery steered through the gap between gully and point with perfection.
Rahul brought up the 200 for India on the other side of an extended drinks break that saw a second ball-change of the session already in the space of 11 overs. Ben Stokes, who had brought himself on in the second half of the session, clung to the short-ball ploy trying to induce a break that never came. Even for a greatly restrained knock, Pant brought up the fifty in classic Pant style when he hooked a short one from Stokes flat over long-leg ropes, overtaking Viv Richards’ record of most sixes (34) against England in Tests with that.
England introduced spin into the attack with just over 15 minutes to go for Lunch, and Pant welcomed Shoaib Bashir into attack with a six straight down the ground first up. Stokes continued to pepper Pant with short balls, which did cause some discomfort to the Indian’s injured left hand. However, the southpaw found a way to put them away in his own style. Zak Crawley made an excellent boundary-line effort to save his team five runs when Pant tried to hook, having already fetched a four off yet another short ball from Stokes off the previous delivery.
Eventually, though, it was an inspired piece of fielding effort from the English skipper and risk of an unnecessary run at the stroke of Lunch that produced a wicket for the hosts. Eager to get on strike, Rahul – batting on 98 – called for a risky single after Pant defended a Bashir delivery to the off-side. Stokes sensed the batter’s hesitation and ran in from covers to nail the direct hit at the non-striker’s end, bringing curtains on Pant’s fighting knock at 74.
Brief scores: England 387 lead India 248/4 (KL Rahul 98*, Rishabh Pant 74) by 139 runs.
© Cricbuzz
