KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant partnership: A classy ton, a gritty knock, and a needless run

TimesofIndia.com in London: Ten minutes on either side of the lunch break, a milestone was in focus, and it played a big role in the dismissals of the set overnight batters – Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul. The clock was nearing 1 pm local time and Rishabh Pant seemed very eager for KL Rahul to complete his hundred before the break.

Shoaib Bashir offered an opportunity with the first delivery of the last over before lunch, but Rahul could only manage a single off a half-tracker, which he could have dispatched to any corner of Lord's.

Live Score: India vs England, 3rd TestPant was convinced and told his partner the same when they completed a comfortable single. Rahul moved to 98, Pant was on strike, and he tried to steal a quick single off the third delivery to get Rahul back on strike but was run out by a fantastic effort from Ben Stokes, who always pulls magic out of nowhere in the field.

There was some hesitation when the left-hander took the first couple of strides, but seeing Rahul respond, he took off — only to fall inches short as the England captain hit the bullseye.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The moment replays on the giant screen confirmed the dismissal, Stokes enjoyed every bit of it, but Rahul was sinking at the other end. He was in absolute disbelief. Helmet off, the right-hander couldn’t believe what had transpired as Pant began the long drag back to the dressing room.

The Indian vice-captain looked deeply disappointed — he had battled pain, fought out a tough period, and had just begun to return to his dominating ways.

But a moment's hesitation for a run or a desperate effort to help his partner reach a hundred cost him his wicket — and a possible third hundred of the series.

For 197 deliveries, Pant and Rahul batted with clarity during their 141-run partnership. But that one hesitation broke a stand that was threatening to take the game away from the home team.

India were still the happier unit going into the break, having lost only one wicket — and with a set Rahul still at the crease. He didn’t waste much time after lunch to get to the magic number, and the entire change room on the balcony stood up to applaud his second century of the series.This was his second hundred at the Home of Cricket, and he became the first Asian opener to achieve the feat. Only three openers before him had managed two hundreds at Lord’s.

If one goes by the numbers, KL Rahul’s career might seem below par — but that doesn’t tell the true story. The classical opener has scored nine out of his ten Test hundreds away from home — a testament to his ability to deliver when the going gets tough.

The frustration of getting out exactly on 100, after playing a loose shot off Shoaib Bashir, was evident when he smashed the boundary ropes with his bat on the way back. He had played well, but he would still feel it was a job half done.Ice and FireThe pitch was flat, the sun was beating down, but when Rahul came out to bat on Day 2, he faced a relentless attack from the England pace quartet. The well-executed plans meant there were no freebies on offer, and the early wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal meant the senior batter had to be extra cautious. A fluent partnership with state-mate Karun Nair followed, and Rahul grew in confidence, especially during his dominant stand with Pant.It felt like The Oval 2018 again — when both had hit individual hundreds to put England under pressure. A young Pant fought fire with fire while Rahul provided calm assurance at the other end. The script at Lord’s didn’t fully mirror 2018, but it was heading there — until Pant fell inches short and drew the curtains on what had been a terrific partnership. "Control" remained the keyword — Rahul was composed and clinical, and Pant, even with pain in his left index finger, fought valiantly.The two made India dare to dream in this tough Test, and they’ve now put the visitors in a strong position at Lord’s. The only thing they’d hope for is that the outcome isn’t what it was back in 2018.