KL Rahul Discusses Rishabh Pant's Painful Performance at Lord's Test
Rishabh Pant's Struggles on Day 3 of the Lord's Test
During the third day of the Lord's Test, Indian opener KL Rahul shared insights about vice-captain Rishabh Pant's difficulties, revealing that Pant was in considerable pain while trying to bat.
On Day 1, during the 34th over bowled by Jasprit Bumrah, Pant attempted to dive for a ball but failed to secure it, allowing England to score two runs off byes. Following this incident, he experienced significant discomfort and had to leave the field for medical assistance, as reported by a media outlet.
Dhruv Jurel stepped in as the wicketkeeper, taking over for Pant during the second session of the first day.
At the post-match press conference, Rahul commented on Pant's injury, stating, “He was struggling to grip the bat due to the pain. The friction from the ball hitting the bat was intense. He took a few hits on his gloves, which didn't help. He expressed frustration over missing shots that he believed should have been boundaries. I advised him to focus on the best scoring options rather than dwell on missed opportunities.”
Pant made headlines with his remarkable batting performance on Day 3, setting records at the iconic Lord's.
He surpassed the legendary Vivian Richards to become the player with the most sixes in Tests against England, and matched Rohit Sharma's record for the second-highest number of sixes by an Indian in Test cricket.
In addition to his six-hitting prowess, the 27-year-old also broke MS Dhoni's record for the most runs by an Indian wicketkeeper during a tour of England, becoming the first visiting wicketkeeper to score over 400 runs in a single Test series in England.
Despite suffering a finger injury on the first day, Pant showcased resilience, scoring 74 runs off 112 balls, including two massive sixes that helped him break Richards' record.
With 35 sixes against England, Pant surpassed Richards' previous record of 34. He is now just two sixes away from tying with Virender Sehwag for the most sixes by an Indian in Test cricket, having achieved this in just 46 Tests compared to Rohit's 67.
Pant has accumulated 416 runs across three Tests, setting a new record for the most runs by an Indian wicketkeeper in England, previously held by Dhoni with 349 runs during the 2014 tour.
Unfortunately, Pant's innings concluded just before the first session ended when he attempted a quick single but was run out by England's captain Ben Stokes, finishing with a score of 74 off 112 balls.