As England and India battled on Day 1 of the Lord’s Test, a key moment unfolded when India’s wicketkeeper-batter and vice-captain Rishabh Pant injured his finger while behind the stumps. The 27-year-old, who has been in fine form with the bat in the series, received medical attention after chipping his finger. Although it was later confirmed there was no major concern, Pant was replaced by Dhruv Jurel behind the stumps. Jurel was called into action immediately after tea, when Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Ollie Pope with a sharp delivery that was safely caught by the substitute keeper. Former India batter and wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik broke down the dismissal and pointed out a key technical difference between Pant and Jurel. “Dhruv Jurel’s a lot more lower and closer to the keeping pads, and the height of it as compared to Rishabh Pant,” Karthik noted. He also highlighted the foot positioning: “The position of the right leg determines in many ways how well your head position is in relation with the glove.” According to him, Pant’s right foot is much closer to his body, while Jurel plants his foot well outside off stump, giving him better balance. The analysis, shared on Sky Sports Cricket’s X handle, showed Pant losing his footing on a similar delivery, while Jurel maintained balance and completed the catch with ease.
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While Pant played a role in both early dismissals of England’s openers, he has also missed multiple chances in the series, with a few notable drops in the first and second Tests.
