KL Rahul has taken responsibility for the unfortunate run-out of Rishabh Pant during Day 3 of the Lord's Test against England, admitting that his eagerness to reach his century might have cost Pant his wicket. The incident occurred in the final over before lunch, with Rahul nearing his hundred and Pant well-set on 74.
Rahul, resuming the day on 53 with Pant on 19, had built a formidable 141-run partnership that steadied India's innings. As Rahul approached his century, he attempted a quick single off Shoaib Bashir's bowling, but a miscommunication between the two batsmen and a sharp direct hit from Ben Stokes at short cover resulted in Pant being run out.
Speaking at the press conference after the day's play, Rahul explained that he had told Pant a couple of overs prior that he would try to get to his century before lunch. With Bashir bowling the last over, he thought it was a good opportunity to reach the milestone. However, he hit the ball straight to the fielder. Rahul said Pant was trying to rotate the strike to get him back on strike, but the run-out "shouldn't have happened at that stage". He acknowledged the dismissal shifted the momentum, expressing disappointment for both himself and Pant.
"It was a ball that I could have hit for a boundary," Rahul told reporters. "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".
While Rahul did complete his century after lunch, his innings ended soon after, falling for 100 to Bashir. Despite the dismissals, the Rahul-Pant partnership helped India recover from a shaky start and eventually match England's first-innings total of 387.
Rahul's century at Lord's marked his second at the venue, making him the second Indian to achieve this feat. He also became the first Asian opener to score multiple Test centuries at Lord's since 2012. Reflecting on his innings, Rahul said, "Everything about Lord's makes it that much more special. The legacy, the history. Every time you walk into Lord's, you are reminded of the legacy and history of cricket".
Despite their contrasting approaches to the game, Rahul expressed his admiration for Pant and his desire to emulate the younger player's mindset. He noted Pant's deep understanding of the game and enjoys batting with him. Rahul said that he often dreams of playing shots like Pant and playing with that kind of mindset and attitude.
