LONDON: KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant did exactly what the situation demanded. They batted together for more than 32 overs - 194 balls to be precise - adding 141 runs for the fourth wicket to keep England bowlers at bay in the third Test here at the Lord's Cricket Ground.
They started cautiously as they stitched together an unbroken 38-run partnership from 59 balls at stumps on Day 2. For India to get closer to England's first innings total of 387, the duo needed to see off the morning session on Saturday and they almost did that. Remarkably enough, this all was done with the wicketkeeper-batter Pant still feeling the pain in his left index finger, which he hurt on the opening day and walked off the field only to return with a willow in his hand.
Unlike their English counterparts, the duo made sure they did not go into shell and it all began with the first ball of Day 3. Jofra Archer, starting the proceedings for the hosts from the Pavilion End, sent one down the leg which was guided for a four by Pant. If the first boundary was assumingly a gift from the pacer, the second one, only three balls later, was indication of Pant's intent. The Delhi batter stepped out to hit Archer's delivery bowled at 140kmph for a four in front of square.
That shot set the tone for Pant and Rahul as they denied the hosts any success for more than 20 overs even as their skipper Ben Stokes bowled one of his fiery old spells - five overs out of which 26 balls were either bouncers or back of length bowled at a pace of 90mph.
So when Pant got run out for 74 off 112, the innings was laced with eight fours and two sixes, just before the stroke of the lunch, all the good work done in more than 20 overs went in vain. Pant might have wanted his partner to complete his century before the break but that move made in a good faith gave England the opening they were waiting for.
The unfortunate dismissal meant India went into the lunch at 248/4 with Rahul unbeaten on 98. The opener completed his century soon after the break but edged a tossed up delivery from Shoaib Bashir to slip for a simple catch to Harry Brook. The century, however, helped Rahul to go past England opener Ben Duckett. He now has four centuries, most in England since 2018 as an opener. Duckett has three while Rory Burns and Zak Crawley have two each.
The twin dismissals in the span of 11 balls pushed India to back foot as Stokes pressed for more breakthroughs by unleashing Archer on Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Returning to Test cricket after more than four years, the 30-year-old Barbados-born cricketer cranked up the pace much to the delight of the packed crowd. He regularly bowled over 90mph unsettling Indian batters especially Reddy. Archer even had a few words with the Andhra cricketer during his long follow throughs. It was a difficult period for the batters as they looked to survive and even had a close shave as a couple of run out chances went abegging.
With the new ball in their hands, England pacers Chris Woakes, Stokes and Archer tested the Indian duo with their fiery spells. On one occasion, Stokes floored Reddy with a bouncer. A short ball bowled at 141kmph reared off the pitch to hit the grill of Nitish's helmet.
However, all the uncertainties, plays and misses gave way to some stability at the end as Jadeja and Reddy completed a 50-run partnership to dig India out of the hole. Reddy might have finally got out to Stokes but the Saurashtra all-rounder steered India to safety with a well-timed half-century, his third of the series. He along with Washington Sunday added 50 runs for the seventh wicket but once Jadeja departed on 72, the Indian innings folded. In the end, there was nothing to separate between the two teams - at least in terms of runs.