India gave 50 runs extra, says Anil Kumble

Former India coach Anil Kumble said India may have given away 50 extra runs to England on Day 2 of the third Test at Lord’s. He praised KL Rahul’s grit and Rishabh Pant’s return, calling it a positive finish for India.

HYDERABAD: JioHotstar expert Anil Kumble said he thought it would be even and that he knew that India would probably feel that they gave about 50 runs extra to England.

“But having said that, with the early dismissal of Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, India will be comfortable at 145 for 3. And the best part is Rishabh Pant getting the opportunity to bat at some point. Slightly earlier in the day, there was a bit of a concern about Pant — whether he’d be able to bat,” Kumble said after the second day’s play in the third Test between India and England at Lord’s Cricket Ground on Friday.

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“But he was pretty comfortable other than that one instance where he got hit off the toe-end, and that hurt his hand. Otherwise, he looked quite at ease. I thought KL Rahul and Pant ensured that India ended the day on a positive note, even though Pant came in a bit later,” Kumble said.

Anil Kumble lauded Rahul’s composed knock in testing conditions. “It was fantastic. A typical KL Rahul innings, where he had to grind it out. It was a fiery spell from Jofra Archer — especially that first spell where he clocked over 150 km/h, with steep bounce and a bit of swing early on,” he said.

“KL countered all of that brilliantly. He was clinical in his approach and looked in control. It was a very disciplined and mature knock, and I’m sure he’ll be satisfied with how he played,” the former India leg-spinner said.

Anil Kumble broke down the technical setup behind Gill’s wicket: “I think it was a good ball — a well-planned set-up. If you look at the previous over from Chris Woakes, he was angling the ball in toward Shubman Gill. Most of those deliveries came in, with the occasional one holding its line. Then, in the first ball of the next over, Woakes went wider from the crease. As a batter, when you’ve just faced an over-angle in, you naturally play for that line. But this one held its line — and with the Lord’s slope, that movement gets exaggerated. It was the perfect length and angle. And a great catch by wicketkeeper Jamie Smith — keeping up to the stumps is never easy, whether it’s pace or spin, but he pulled it off.”

Kumble reflected on Nair’s elegant knock and unfortunate dismissal. “He’s had a solid series overall, except for that one inning. In his comeback match, he’s consistently got starts — 20s, 30s — and today he got into the 40s. He survived Archer’s harsh early spell and began looking comfortable,” he said.

“Some of his cover drives were beautiful to watch. But it was one of those dismissals — he edged a good delivery, and Joe Root took a stunning low catch. That’s not easy, especially with the slope at Lord’s. And Jofra Archer — no surprise he’s the best catcher in this match,” Kumble said.

For his part, another JioHotstar expert, Jonathan Trott, echoed similar sentiments on Rahul’s tactical approach. “I don’t think you can go out there and dictate terms to the bowlers on this pitch. You have to be watchful — it’s very much a new-ball wicket. KL was excellent in nullifying that early threat and played very straight,” he said.

“Just like Shubman Gill did in the second Test — using a straight bat, being patient when the ball’s on the stumps, and capitalising on the bad balls. That’s going to be key tomorrow — to keep pressure on the English side,” he said.