India Vs England 3rd Test: Rishabh Pant’s Match-Changing Run Out ‘An Error Of Judgement’, Says Gill

India vs England 3rd Test: India fell just 22 runs short in a thrilling third Test match at the Lord’s Cricket Ground as England took a 2-1 lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series on Monday, 14 July 2025. Chasing 135 on the fifth day, India’s top order fell like a pack of cards, with Ravindra Jadeja the sole fighter with an unbeaten 61-run knock, but could not secure a win for the Men in Blue.

India missed a chance to take the lead in the first innings, only being able to match England’s score of 387 before being bowled out. One of the pivotal moments in the first innings came when Rishabh Pant was run out in the 66th over. The batter, at 74, was dismissed by a direct hit from Ben Stokes. India lost the remaining six wickets for 139 runs.

Captain Shubman Gill, speaking after the Lord’s Test, defended Pant. He dismissed any claims that Pant’s rushed effort to take a run was an attempt to allow KL Rahul, then at 99, to reach his century, which the batter did later.

“We talk a lot about this keeping the team’s interest ahead of personal milestones. But I think it (run out) was an error of judgment, rather than wanting to score 100 runs,” Gill said. “I think he said it would be better if he scored 100 runs before the lunch. A batsman feels pressure at 99 runs.”

“But at the end of the day, I don’t think it was personal, and he got run out because of his personal milestone. It was an error of judgment. Rishabh made the call. KL bhai was running at the danger (end). I would say it was an error of judgment. It can happen to any batsman.

“Having said that, the most important moment for us was Rishabh’s run out. At one point, we thought we could take the lead by 50 or 100 runs. We knew it wouldn’t be easy to bat on Day 5. The more lead we get in the first innings, the better for us. It puts the other team on the backfoot as well,” Gill added.

England captain Ben Stokes, responsible for the sublime direct hit that sent Pant back to the pavilion, explained his feelings while making the throw. “In the middle of the spell, so I was pretty pumped up,” he said.

“Important position at extra cover, and in my peripheral, I saw Rishabh stutter. One of the great feelings, when you let go of the ball and know it’s going to hit the stumps,” he said.

Shubman Gill Hails ‘Most Valuable’ Ravindra Jadeja

Gill was all praise for the final day’s hero Ravindra Jadeja. The all-rounder stuck around as India’s wickets continued to tumble, forging two strong partnerships with tail-enders Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

“He (Jadeja) is one of the most valuable players in India. The experience that he brings in, the skill set that he brings with his bowling, batting and fielding is very rare. And the kind of composure that he showed today, it was just tremendous to watch,” Gill said.

“Batting with the lower order of the tail has been one of the things that we spoke about in the previous two matches. That our lower order hasn’t been contributing as much. But I think the character and the courage that they showed was tremendous.”

Gill All For ‘Exciting’ On-Field Tension

The Indian skipper also acknowledged the on-field tensions between him and Zack Crawley, which saw Gill exchange some unsavoury words with his English counterpart on Day 3.

“There would be times where there would be a little bit of heat from both sides,” Gill said. “But I think that’s what makes it so exciting … That’s what makes it more challenging.”

“At the end of the day, there’s a lot of admiration within two teams. Both the teams try their best to be able to win a match and perform. There can be moments where there would be some kind of heat. You’re in the moment. That’s what makes it more exciting,” he added.

Shubman Gill will hope his side can maintain their aggressive approach when India take on England in the fourth Test match at Old Trafford, Manchester, on 23 July 2025.