Debasis Sen in London
India still trail by 242 runs after Day 2 of the ongoing third Test against England at Lord’s. The hosts posted a respectable first-innings total of 387, thanks to a magnificent 37th Test century from Joe Root and a crucial late-order stand between Brydon Carse (56) and Jamie Smith (51). For India, it was once again a lion-hearted effort from Jasprit Bumrah, who finished with impressive figures of 5/74.
The spotlight now shifts to the two overnight batters, KL Rahul (53*) and Rishabh Pant (19*), who will look to build on their unbeaten fourth-wicket stand of 38 runs. Crucially, the team will be hoping that they can wade through the first hour on Day 3 without losing a wicket.
Pant’s presence at the crease has been particularly commendable, given that he is playing through pain after injuring his left index finger on Day 1. The injury occurred in the 34th over of England’s innings when Pant attempted a diving stop down the leg side off a Bumrah delivery. The ball struck the tip of his finger, causing immediate discomfort. Though he completed the over, Pant was clearly in pain and later handed over the wicket-keeping duties to Dhruv Jurel before walking off for treatment.
After receiving on-field attention from the physio and some pain-relief spray, Pant was briefly assessed near the boundary before returning to the dressing room. The BCCI confirmed that while he remained under medical supervision, he had not been sent for scans at that time—an encouraging sign that a fracture was unlikely.
On Friday morning—the second day of the Test—Pant did not return to the field, and Jurel continued with the wicketkeeping role. Although Pant arrived at the ground and was seen doing light drills with the assistant coach Sitanshu Kotak, he was visibly uncomfortable, especially while attempting shadow batting with only his right hand. He soon returned to the pavilion.
To the relief of the Indian camp, Pant came out to bat at his usual No. 5 position following the dismissal of Shubman Gill. Despite the discomfort, he has already hit three boundaries in his 33-ball stay so far. India will be counting on him to continue, especially given how crucial he has been to the middle order in recent times—with scores of 134 and 118 in Headingley and a 65 in Edgbaston in his last four innings.
Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara noted during commentary, “It would have been easy for Rishabh to come out later and rest but he decided to bat for his side.”
Former England skipper Nasser Hussain also praised Pant’s grit, saying, “He is a team man, small things matter for a team.”
Instances of Indian cricketers showing remarkable courage in adversity are not new. One of the most iconic examples is from 2002, when Anil Kumble bowled with a broken jaw during the Antigua Test during India’s tour of the West Indies. After being hit by a Mervyn Dillon bouncer while batting, Kumble suffered a fractured jaw. Yet, he returned to bowl in the second innings with his face heavily bandaged, delivering 14 consecutive overs and even claiming the prized wicket of Brian Lara.
Kumble’s act remains a defining symbol of grit and determination in Indian cricket. Whether Pant can draw inspiration from that kind of courage shown by Kumble remains to be seen.
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