“Same Like You?” – Rishabh Pant’s Banter With Ben Duckett Lights Up Day 3 at Lord’s

Rishabh Pant was at his entertaining best on Day 3 of the Lord's Test, combining grit with humour as India took control in the first session against England. Battling through visible discomfort due to a left-hand injury, Pant produced a vital 74-run knock, but it was his mid-pitch exchange with England's Ben Duckett that stole the show.

As Pant dialled back his usual aggressive tempo-partly due to the injury-Duckett couldn't resist a cheeky jab. "Just batting for the draw?" the England opener asked with a grin.

Pant, not one to back down, shot back, "Me?"
"Yeah," replied Duckett.
"Same like you?" Pant responded, triggering a round of light-hearted back-and-forth.

"Same like me, bro," Duckett laughed.
"Same like you?" Pant repeated with a smirk.
"Yeah! That's me playing on Day 1," the Englishman concluded.

The banter summed up Pant's spirit-a mix of fight and fun-even while navigating pain and England's pace attack. His partnership with KL Rahul was equally impactful, adding 141 crucial runs for the fifth wicket to steer India out of early trouble.

Pant started the day with a flicked boundary off Jofra Archer before smashing another through the off-side. But after those early hits, he settled into a cautious rhythm, allowing Rahul to take charge against the short-ball strategy from England. Rahul, unbeaten on 98 at lunch, protected Pant during Archer's spells, showing great awareness and teamwork.

England tried to pin Pant down by bringing fielders closer and cutting off his movements-much like they had done to Shubman Gill earlier-but the left-hander found a way to stay positive.

Unfortunately for India, Pant's promising innings ended just before lunch when a risky single resulted in a direct-hit run out by Ben Stokes. Still, his knock was a perfect mix of bravery, contribution, and comic relief-an innings that not only helped India but also gave fans one of the most memorable on-field exchanges of the summer.