The newly-appointed India National Cricket Team Test vice-captain Rishabh Pant has been in a red-hot form in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Rishabh Pant started off his 2025 England tour with historic twin tons at Headingley in Leeds, which unfortunately came in a losing cause as India were at the receiving end of a 5-wicket defeat.
Rishabh Pant scored 134 runs in the first innings of the Leeds Test and followed it up with a score of 118 in the second innings, becoming the second wicketkeeper-batsman in history to achieve the twin tons feat.As the action moved towards Edgbaston in Birmingham, Rishabh Pant continued his good form and chipped in with 25 and 65 runs across two innings and played a vital role in India’s dominant 336-run win.
India’s practice session gave an fair idea of India’s choices for 3rd Test
One day before the third Test between India and England at Lord’s, both teams held intense practice sessions under the London sun. With the series poised delicately, all eyes were on preparations, team dynamics, and, of course, selection hints. From Rishabh Pant’s press conference to Shubman Gill’s exhaustive net session and Jofra Archer’s surprising absence from bowling, there was plenty to take in.
Rishabh Pant, India’s vice-captain, addressed the press a day ahead of the Test and offered insights into the team’s current atmosphere. While he remained tight-lipped about the playing XI and possible combinations, stating that decisions would be made after a final look at the surface, he opened up about the camaraderie within the squad. He spoke warmly about his relationship with captain Shubman Gill.
“We are friends on and off the field, and that’s where the trust comes from,” Pant said.
“We hope it will help the rest of the boys, and we can continue to play as a collective.”
Given everything that had unfolded behind the scenes during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, seeing the team united again is a positive development for Indian cricket, especially in the long term. The unified front was quite evident in the second Test match at the Edgbaston Stadium where Gill and Pant were involved in repeated dialogues in between overs.
All eyes were on captain Shubman Gill, who’s been in spectacular form, with two centuries and a double ton already in the series. He began his session with throwdowns before facing spinners and seamers in the nets. He didn’t stop there. Gill later moved to the side nets, where Ryan ten Doeschate bowled underarm knockdowns, helping the skipper sharpen his drives.
KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Karun Nair were also heavily involved and had a somewhat similar routine, each spending nearly two hours in the nets. The volume and structure of their sessions gave some clues to the team’s possible XI, with Nair, in particular, appearing set to retain his spot.
The biggest talking point from England’s early morning session was Jofra Archer. Many arrived early, hoping to catch a glimpse of him bowling. However, Archer only batted and didn’t roll his arm over. It was a surprise given the buzz around his Test return. Shoaib Bashir was the only England bowler to bowl in the nets, while skipper Ben Stokes had an extended batting hit.
While the England team has already announced its playing XI, with just one change—Archer replacing Josh Tongue, it remains to be seen whether India will adopt a similar approach. Although, it is a given that Jasprit Bumrah will replace Prasidh Krishna in the team, everyone has their eyes peeled on whether there will be any surprises in the team selection. However Indian wicketkeeper and vice captain Rishabh Pant in the pre match press conference insisted that India are open for all the options ahead of 3rd Test match at Lords.
Rishabh Pant exclaims that India have all the bowling options open ahead of 3rd Test Match
Rishabh Pant Drops Big Hint About India’s Team Combination For 3rd England Test: ‘Options…’Indian cricket team vice-captain Rishabh
Indian cricket team vice-captain Rishabh Pant dropped a massive hint about the team combination for the third Test encounter against England at Lord’s. India went with just one spinner – Ravindra Jadeja – in the first Test before adding Washington Sundar to the mix for the second Test match.
The team management also made a big change at Edgbaston as they included Nitish Kumar Reddy in place of Shardul Thakur. Some more changes are expected for the Test match at Lord’s with Jasprit Bumrah potentially coming back in the side. Pant did not reveal much about what the team will look like for the third Test match but made it clear that there were three pacers with one or two spinners in the mix.
“Options are still open, discussions still going on. Sometimes wicket changes colour in two days. We will take the call. Whether it will be 3+1 or 3+2,” Pant said at the pre-match press conference.
With more than four years away from Test cricket, Jofra Archer’s comeback to Tests has set the cricketing world abuzz and India’s vice-captain Rishabh Pant is one of those who took notice. Before the third Test against England at Lord’s, Pant greeted the return of Archer, describing it as “a good contest,” but insisting that contributing to India’s success is his main priority.
The timing couldn’t be more perfect for India, who come into the game on a high following a comprehensive 336-run victory at Edgbaston. Pant has been the driver of that momentum change, plundering 342 runs in the series at a phenomenal average of 85.50, including a scorching 65 from 57 balls in the previous game.
“Personally, whenever I step on the field, I enjoy my cricket and try to give my 100 percent. It’s not particularly about any individual. Yes, it’s going to be a good contest, because he’s also coming after a long break. But yes, I’m happy he’s back,” Pant said in the pre-match press conference.
Having tied the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, the third Test at the historical Lords is going to be a blockbuster as it is finely balanced at 1-1. England skipper Ben Stokes has shown his cards and said that his team will perform with all guns blazing against India when the five day encounter between the two teams starts on July 10.
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