"Rishabh Pant’s run out before lunch wasn’t the real turning point"- 1983 World Cup winner's big remark on India's loss in ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test

Former India pacer and 1983 World Cup winner Balwinder Singh Sandhu believes that Rishabh Pant's run out in the first innings of the Lord's Test between England and India was not the turning point. But the 68-year-old felt that the southpaw's dismissal changed the atmosphere inside the dressing room and the support staff needed to keep the positivity up at such stages.

Pant was run out on 74 by Ben Stokes at the stroke of lunch on Day 3 at Lord's. His dismissal ended a 141-run stand with KL Rahul, which had put India in the ascendency. Writing in his column for Mid-day, Sandhu opined:

"Rishabh Pant’s run out before lunch wasn’t the real turning point. What followed after is where things began to shift. He was looking good, well set, so once he got out, the atmosphere in the dressing room changed. It’s up to the support staff to keep things relaxed and positive at such moments. If they can’t, then the silence, the stiff looks, the lack of words - everything gets magnified. And that creates pressure which is felt by everyone in the room. "This tension spreads fast, players start doubting themselves, and it becomes difficult to stay calm and think clearly out in the middle. For me, the noise inside the dressing room - the glances, the quiet blame - is louder and more damaging than what experts or commentators say outside."

Sandhu's views on Pant's dismissal not being the turning point goes against the view of many of his other former India teammates. One of them, Sunil Gavaskar, felt that the southpaw's dismissal for 74 was the biggest turning point of the match.

"That was the biggest turning point of the match. Both batters were going so well-splendid batting from them. It was like a fire-and-ice combination. Rahul was all calm precision, playing calculated strokes, while Rishabh Pant brought power and punch, really putting pressure on the England bowling attack," Gavaskar had told India Today after the Lord's Test.

Balwinder Sandhu feels India should have stuck to the basics while chasing 193 runs in the fourth innings

After India's bowlers had dismissed England for 192 in the third innings, it left the visitors needing 193 runs for victory. Balwinder Singh Sandhu felt that India had erred by not sticking to the basics and allowed fear and doubts enter into the heads.

"Instead of sticking to the basics and playing with calm intent, the Indian batters seemed to let doubt and fear creep in. The pitch started playing on their minds more than the ball. In the fourth innings, chasing even a small target is never easy -it becomes a mental battle. And under pressure, even the smallest mistakes start to feel massive," he wrote.

The loss at Lord's means that India head to Old Trafford trailing 1-2 in the series and in the need of a win to keep the series alive.

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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava