"Joe Root had to wait for one night"- Former India captain's big statement on Rishabh Pant's run out on Day 3 of ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test

Former India captain Anil Kumble criticized the run out of Rishabh Pant on Day 3 of the England versus India Test match at Lord's on Saturday, July 12. The 54-year-old said that it was an unnecessary wicket for the tourists to lose so close to lunch on the third day.

Pant was dismissed for 74 after adding 141 runs for the fourth wicket with KL Rahul, which helped India recover from 106/3. Speaking on JioHotstar, Kumble said (via Hindustan Times):

"This wasn't needed. Joe Root had to wait for one night. He was on 99, he had to come back the next day. They had done so well; it was a fantastic partnership. It allowed England some confidence going into the second session."

Kumble believed that Pant's hesitation after calling for the single led to the dismissal. The former leg-spinner said that the duo missed an opportunity to extend the stand after lunch, which could have added more pressure on the hosts.

"I think initially Rishabh Pant called and then hesitated, thinking that there was no run. And then KL was off the blocks straight away. So Rishabh Pant’s initial hesitation probably delayed his response. And then he had to take off because KL was just running straight through and on target."

"This was unnecessary, for sure, because you could have just blocked the next three balls, gone to lunch, and then do whatever you had to, or continued the great work that both these batters did in that first session," Kumble said.

Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy rebuild after India lose Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul in quick succession at Lord's

After Rishabh Pant fell at the stroke of lunch on Day 3, India lost KL Rahul soon after play resumed in the post-lunch session. The right-hander fell after reaching his hundred, caught at slip by Harry Brook off Shoaib Bashir. It was his second hundred at the venue, after scoring 129 in 2021.

That left the onus on Ravindra Jadeja and the rest of the lower-order to take India close to England's first innings score of 387. He and Nitish Kumar Reddy experienced a few mix-ups but managed to get through the phase, helping India pass the 300-run mark. At the time of writing, India was 303/5 after 87 overs, still trailing the hosts by 84 runs.