It was a moment that captured the heartbreak perfectly – Virat Kohli standing there, hands on his head, watching helplessly as Rishabh Pant trudged back to the pavilion after a disastrous run-out. The scene at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune told the story of India’s collapsing hopes in their ambitious chase of 359.
The day had started with such promise, especially with young Yashasvi Jaiswal lighting up the ground with his explosive batting. But cricket, as they say, is a game of glorious uncertainties. Mitchell Santner, the Kiwi spinner, had other plans as he turned the match on its head after lunch on Day 3.
The real drama unfolded in the 23rd over. Kohli had just defended a length ball from Ajaz Patel, pushing it towards backward point. He considered a single, hesitated, but by then Pant was already halfway down the pitch. While Kohli made his ground, Santner’s swift collection and throw to keeper Tom Blundell caught Pant well short, despite his desperate dive.
In the commentary box, Murali Kartik pointed out something interesting – in such situations, it’s actually the non-striker’s responsibility to make the final call. Simon Doull added his perspective, noting how Pant seemed unaware of the fielder’s position.
The dismissal put Pant in an unusual club – he became just the third Indian batsman to be run out for a duck in Test cricket, joining the likes of Rahul Dravid (Lahore, 2004) and Cheteshwar Pujara (who did it twice – Dharamsala 2017 and Centurion 2018).
With India at 128/4 and Pant’s dismissal coming right after losing both Jaiswal (77) and Gill (23), the situation looked grim. Meanwhile, Santner was celebrating a personal milestone – his first 10-wicket haul in First-Class cricket.
It was a day that showed how quickly fortunes can change in Test cricket – from the high of Jaiswal’s fireworks to the low of Pant’s unfortunate dismissal, all in the span of just 13 overs. And through it all, Kohli’s expression said everything words couldn’t about India’s fading hopes in this crucial match.
