During the second session of Day 3 at Lord’s, Gautam Gambhir engaged in an intense discussion with Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant.
Gautam Gambhir’s Tactical Pep Talk with Gill and Pant Sparks Speculation
During the second session of Day 3 at Lord’s, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir engaged in a visibly intense discussion with captain Shubman Gill and vice-captain Rishabh Pant on the Lord’s balcony. The trio stepped outside to the open seating area during India’s innings, where Gambhir passionately conveyed his thoughts using animated hand gestures.
Initially, Gill and Pant were in conversation before Gautam Gambhir interjected, capturing their full attention. Both leaders listened closely, occasionally nodding as Gambhir delivered pointed tactical insights.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri, watching the exchange live, speculated on its nature. “They must be talking tactics, as they get the opportunity to put the sorts of field on this slow track,” Shastri observed, suggesting Gambhir was advising adjustments to field placements suited for the sluggish Lord’s pitch.
Coach Gautam Gambhir passing on tactical inputs to captain Gill & vice-captain Pant. #ENGvsIND pic.twitter.com/LMvfAGxHNZ
— KKR Vibe (@KnightsVibe) July 12, 2025
KL Rahul’s long-awaited century at Lord’s brought a brief surge of joy to the Indian camp on Day 3. Resuming the second session on 98*, Rahul reached his 10th Test hundred — and his second at this historic ground — with a single off Jofra Archer. This milestone made him the first Indian since Dilip Vengsarkar to score multiple centuries at Lord’s.
However, the celebrations were short-lived. Moments later, Rahul, perhaps caught in the excitement, chased a wide, flighted delivery from Shoaib Bashir and edged it straight to Harry Brook at first slip, halting India’s momentum just before tea.
Following Rahul’s dismissal, Nitish Reddy and Ravindra Jadeja steadied the innings, successfully negotiating a fiery spell from Archer and remaining unbeaten at the interval. Despite a late blow to Reddy’s grille from Ben Stokes, the young batter showed grit and determination.
England promptly took the second new ball, but it offered little assistance to the bowlers. Runs dried up in the session, with India adding just 68. A lack of communication between Jadeja and Reddy also stood out, as the pair flirted with danger on three occasions due to potential mix-ups while running between the wickets.
Pant braves pain to smash half-century
Earlier in the day, Rishabh Pant battled through intense pain in his left index finger to craft a valiant 74 off 112 balls. He reached his half-century with a stylish pull shot over fine leg off Ben Stokes and sent Shoaib Bashir’s delivery soaring for a towering six.
Pant’s courageous innings came to an end just before lunch when he was run out in a brilliant direct hit by Stokes. The dismissal resulted from a risky mix-up as Pant attempted a sharp single with KL Rahul, who was just two runs shy of his century.
