Pant bats but doesn’t keep wicket for India at Lord’s because of injured finger

LONDON (AP) — As his India teammates closed in on dismissing England in the third test at Lord’s on Friday, Rishabh Pant gave himself one last personal fitness test.

When England was nine men down, Pant left the dressing room with bat in hand and walked the boundary for an impromptu net session.

He just wanted to be sure the left index finger he damaged while wicketkeeping on Thursday could handle his eccentric batting style.

The finger seemingly did.

He walked in as arranged at No. 5 in the order and was still there at stumps after scoring 19 off 33 balls.

But though Pant was in visible pain after some shots, England didn’t really test him. He mainly faced tired medium-pacer Chris Woakes and spinner Shoaib Bashir, off whom he hit his three boundaries. He faced only one delivery from the faster Brydon Carse and got a leg bye.

The real test for Pant’s finger and tolerance for pain will surely come on Saturday when India resumes on 145-3, trailing England by 242 runs, and he will have to face 90 mph (145 kph) zingers from Jofra Archer and Carse.

Pant was hurt after lunch on Thursday and never returned to keep for India. England wasn’t dismissed until after lunch on Friday but Pant’s replacement behind the stumps, Dhruv Jurel, shone by taking three catches.

Pant, India’s vice captain, made back-to-back centuries in the first test and a 65 in the second test.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket