‘It Shouldn’t Have Happened’: KL Rahul Reflects On Costly Mix-Up With Pant

Indian opener KL Rahul has admitted that his eagerness to complete a century before lunch played a part in Rishabh Pant’s untimely run-out on Day 3 of the Lord’s Test.

The incident occurred in the final over before the break, when Pant attempted to rotate the strike and give Rahul a chance to reach his hundred, but Rahul’s call led to Pant getting run out for 74.

“There was a conversation a couple of overs before that,” Rahul told reporters post-play. “I told him I’d try to get to my hundred before lunch. With Bashir bowling the last over, I thought there was a good chance, but I hit it straight to the fielder. He just wanted to rotate the strike, and it led to the run-out. It was disappointing for both of us. It shouldn’t have happened.”

Despite the unfortunate dismissal, Rahul did reach his 10th Test century after lunch, his second at Lord’s and fourth overall in England, joining Rishabh Pant, Sachin Tendulkar, and Dilip Vengsarkar as the Indian batters with the joint second-most centuries in the country.

Rahul, who had previously scored a century at the same venue in 2021 during a historic win, completed his milestone but fell shortly after, leaving India at 254 for 5.

Mental preparation & reaction-time training

Rahul credited his recent performance to improved mental training techniques he has adopted in the last year.

“I’ve worked on mental drills and reaction-time training used in sports like Formula 1. Through my association with Red Bull, I got the chance to work with experts in Salzburg who also train elite drivers and adventure sports professionals,” Rahul said.

He further added that these exercises have helped enhance his focus and reaction capabilities at the crease.

“I’ve always enjoyed batting long hours. These drills just helped me focus better and sustain it longer,” Rahul explained.

As the third day concluded, the tightly contested Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy saw both teams level on scores.

England bowled India out for 387 in 119.2 overs, setting up a thrilling finish at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground.

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