India walked into lunch on day two at Lord’s looking strong. They were 247 for 3. The sun was out. England’s bowlers hadn’t quite found rhythm. It looked like India might take control. But in just a few minutes, everything tilted.
The last over before lunch. Shoaib Bashir with the ball. KL Rahul on 90-something. Three balls later, Rishabh Pant was walking back. Run out.
Then, not long after lunch, Rahul followed. Caught behind chasing a wide one. From 247 for 3, India slipped to 254 for 5.
At the end of the day’s play, Rahul didn’t dodge the moment. He admitted it was a misstep—one that changed the tone of the innings.
“There was a conversation a couple of overs before that,” Rahul told reporters. “I told him (Pant) I’ll try to get to my hundred before lunch. It felt like there was a chance with Bashir bowling.”
He managed just a single early in the over. Pant wasn’t thrilled. He wanted a boundary. He made that clear. Moments later, he went for a tight run. England captain Ben Stokes didn’t miss. A clean pickup. A direct hit. And Pant was gone for 74.
Rahul described it as “not ideal.”
“It was disappointing for both of us. Nobody wants to throw their wicket like that,” he said.
That wicket, and Rahul’s soon after, broke a strong partnership and left India rebuilding from scratch. It wasn’t the first time in the series either. Rahul acknowledged that India’s top order hasn’t capitalized on starts. “You had set batters in the top five who had gotten off to starts. Ideally, one or both should go on to a big score. That’s how you get ahead in a Test match.”
India’s batters have shown flashes. Rahul himself made 137 in Leeds and 55 in Birmingham, helping build the momentum that gave India the win there. And his last visit to Lord’s in 2021 was memorable. He was Player of the Match for a solid 129 in the first innings.
Also Read: India’s Third-Day Slide at Lord’s After Pant Run-Out and Rahul’s Century
There were echoes of that innings in his shot selection again at Lord’s. But he also pointed to something different this time.
Over the last couple of years, Rahul has been working on the mental side of his game. Specifically, reaction time. Not just net sessions or throwdowns. He has taken a more novel route.
“I’ve been doing a lot of mental drills. Games that help sharpen reaction times,” he said.
He traveled to Salzburg, Austria to train with a specialist who also works with Formula 1 drivers and athletes in high-speed sports. “It’s about staying sharp. Staying in the moment. Not letting the mind drift,” Rahul explained.
For now, the focus returns to the series. It’s tied 1-1. But as Rahul knows, matches turn on moments. One poor run, one poor call, and a solid day unravels.
India has had a few of those already.
