Pant defies pain, lends solidity to India’s response

There is no half measure in Rishabh Pant's dictionary.

- Somshuvra Laha

The sight of Ben Stokes swooping down on the ball at short cover however can make even the bravest hesitate. KL Rahul was eager to get on strike though, and so Pant went with the call anyway. It was the kind of one-handed pickup and throw that every batter dreads while scurrying to the danger end. Pant tried to make up for the hesitation, but replays also suggested he had almost given up towards the end.

On the cusp of lunch, the run-out had a briefly teetering effect on India’s innings. Rahul departed two overs into the post-lunch session, Nitish Reddy consumed 20 balls and survived two close run-out attempts to get off the mark and India’s run rate slipped as a result. Had that run out not happened, India could have well finished the day on a different note. It's not like he didn’t do Rishabh Pant things or have a Rishabh Pant effect on the match.