India made a strong start on Day 1 of the third Test at Lord’s as they quickly dismissed both England openers, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, after the hosts elected to bat first. It was young pacer Nitish Kumar Reddy who did the damage, striking twice in his very first over to jolt England early. By the time lunch was called, England had cautiously progressed to 83/2 after 25 overs, with the Indian bowlers maintaining the upper hand.
After the break, India looked to build on their early momentum by applying pressure through tight lines and disciplined bowling. Joe Root and Ollie Pope, England’s middle-order mainstays, took a careful approach as Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj dried up the scoring opportunities. The pressure was evident as only eight runs were scored in the first eight overs of the second session. India seemed poised to take control of the game.
However, the flow of the match was disrupted by an unfortunate incident involving Rishabh Pant. In the 34th over, while attempting to collect a Bumrah delivery that drifted down the leg side, Pant was struck on his finger. He appeared to be in considerable discomfort, prompting the Indian physio to rush onto the field. As a precautionary measure, the team management immediately instructed back-up keeper Dhruv Jurel to begin warming up.
Though Pant managed to finish the over behind the stumps, it became clear he was in too much pain to continue. Shortly afterward, Jurel came onto the field wearing the gloves, taking over the wicketkeeping duties. The switch raised concerns among fans and experts alike, with many taking to Twitter to express their worries about Pant’s condition and its potential impact on the match and series.
— BavumaTheKing Temba (@bavumathek83578) July 10, 2025
With the series level at 1-1, Pant’s presence with the bat could be vital in the upcoming innings. Known for his counter-attacking prowess and ability to shift momentum, any injury to him could be a major blow to India’s hopes. As fans awaited official updates on his fitness, the incident added a layer of uncertainty to what had otherwise been a promising start for the visitors at the Home of Cricket.