Did Stokes’ Direct Hit on Pant Change the Game?

London, July 12 (NationPress) Battling through a left index finger injury, Rishabh Pant managed to score 74 runs before Ben Stokes executed a stunning run-out with a direct hit just before the lunch break on Day Three of the third Test in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Lord’s on Saturday. As the players headed for lunch, India stood at 248/4 in 65.3 overs, trailing England by 139 runs.

Though KL Rahul remained not out on 98, the session could have unfolded better had the significant 141-run partnership between him and Pant not ended due to a momentary lapse in judgment by the Indian batsmen, which provided Stokes and his team a reason to celebrate after enduring a grueling time on a sluggish pitch.

Resuming play from 145/3, Pant kicked off Day Three by elegantly flicking Jofra Archer's opening delivery for a boundary, following up by dancing down the pitch to slice the pacer for another four. Despite the ongoing pain from his finger injury, Pant frequently adjusted his grip on the bat to ease the discomfort.

Meanwhile, Rahul showcased his composure, carefully negotiating the challenging deliveries and guiding Chris Woakes through the gully for a boundary. Pant continued to impress, slamming Woakes for another four and executing a hat-trick of fours off Brydon Carse, two of which came from stylish flicks.

After a quick examination by physio Kamlesh Jain, Pant celebrated his 17th Test fifty with a hook shot off Ben Stokes that sailed over long-leg for six. England introduced a new ball after the drinks break, but it failed to halt the run-scoring. Rahul played a classic backfoot punch off Carse for four, while Pant greeted Shoaib Bashir with a majestic lofted shot straight down the ground for six.

Stokes attempted to shake things up by switching to round the wicket and launching a barrage of short balls towards both Pant and Rahul. However, the duo managed to score boundaries off him, even as Pant was struck on the glove, requiring medical attention for the second time that session. Heading into the lunch interval, India was eager to get Rahul back on strike for his century.

On the third delivery of the 66th over, Pant defended a delivery towards the off-side, and Stokes, stationed at cover-point, executed a swift pick-up and throw to the non-striker's end – all in one fluid motion.

With a moment of hesitation from Pant in attempting a run, the direct hit caught him short of his crease, leaving him heartbroken while Stokes and his team entered the lunch break energized and optimistic about making further breakthroughs in the second session.

Brief scores:

England 387 lead India 248/4 in 65.3 overs (KL Rahul 98 not out, Rishabh Pant 74; Jofra Archer 1-35, Ben Stokes 1-44) by 139 runs