ENG vs IND: "Rishabh Pant's run-out.." Sunil Gavaskar highlights turning point of the Lord's test

India’s 22-run loss at the Lord’s was heartbreaking, feels Sunil Gavaskar.

Fans were devastated by India’s narrow 22-run defeat to England in the Lord’s test, and according to Sunil Gavaskar, one particular incident turned the tide of the match dramatically in England’s favor: when India’s deputy skipper Rishabh Pant was run out.

Gavaskar reflected on the game’s pivotal moment, emphasizing how Pant’s ejection on day 3 changed the tide of the competition at a critical period. Batting with the discomfort of a finger injury and counterattacking the English bowlers with controlled aggressiveness, Pant was looking in exquisite form.  

His 141-run partnership with KL Rahul had taken India from a vulnerable position to one of supremacy, and Gavaskar observed that the two players’ opposing styles—Pant’s explosive flare and Rahul’s cool composure—were ideally balancing one another.

“That was the biggest turning point of the match. Both batters were going so well—splendid batting from them. It was like a fire-and-ice combination. Rahul was all calm precision, playing calculated strokes, while Rishabh Pant brought power and punch, really putting pressure on the England bowling attack.”

“It was a rollicking partnership, and then, just in that last hour before lunch, the run-out changed everything. Yes, we did manage to get to the 100-run mark after lunch, but a run-out like that can linger in the mind. Maybe that’s why, after the hundred, there was just a slight lapse—a shot that got Rahul out. So in a short span, India lost two well-set batters. Suddenly, two new batters had to come in and build a partnership from scratch—and that’s never easy,” Gavaskar told India Today.

Pant departed for 74 runs after Ben Stokes scored a direct hit to run him out. As a result, India lost the chance to gain an important lead in the first innings.

“It was heartbreaking”- Sunil Gavaskar on India’s 22-run loss at Lord’s

Gavaskar emphasized how that run-out severely hampered India’s momentum in addition to disrupting the innings’ rhythm. Under pressure, new players had to start over after KL Rahul fell just after hitting his century. Suddenly, two set batters were gone in quick succession.

It proved to be an intense match, and the last innings was always going to be difficult. Once more, the lower order was left to bear the load of the chase as India’s top order collapsed. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj bravely fought to get India closer to the target, and Ravindra Jadeja’s resolute 61 gave India hope. But it all failed as India fell short by 22 runs.

“It was heartbreaking—so near, yet so far. When you lose by just 22 runs, you know that with a bit of luck, we could have gone past that total and gone 2-1 up in the series. It’s very disappointing from the perspective of Indian cricket and as an Indian cricket fan. That said, you have to admire the way our lower-order batters performed. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj fought hard and tried everything to take India over the line,” Gavaskar said.

India will have a chance to level the series 2-2 when they face England in the 4th test of the series in Manchester from July 23.

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