Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg lashed out at KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant after India suffered a 22-run loss against England at Lord’s. Pant was dismissed when he wanted to get KL Rahul on strike before the lunch break on the third day’s play. Rahul was on 98 and he later revealed that he wanted to get to his milestone before lunch.

After England scored 387 runs in the first innings, India was going strongly at 248-3. Pant was run out after scoring 74 runs and it also ended a crucial alliance of 141 runs between him and Rahul, which allowed England to get back into the contest.

Hogg highlighted that Pant and Rahul were putting a personal milestone ahead of the team’s interest and thus had to pay the price.

Brad Hogg said on his YouTube Channel, “It’s not the drop catches that cost India the game. It was a 100, a milestone moment, taking the eye off the ball. Worried about the scoreboard, rather than the team’s mission. This was Pant getting run out on the third day just before lunch, trying to get to Rahul on strike so that he can get his hundred before they went into the lunch break.”

“He got run out; it shouldn’t have happened, especially when you had the momentum in your favor. And then Rahul comes out, he gets his hundred, and the very next ball, he’s facing a basher and chases a wide one on a good length. It was a nothing shot, getting out with an edge.”

“In doing that [forcing a run], you take the mind of your team mission. Two wickets fell in 10 balls and it was two batsmen who were out in the middle absolutely dominating the English bowlers and that turned the game around,” Hogg added.

Meanwhile, after the lunch break, Rahul was soon dismissed after reaching his personal milestone of a hundred.

The fourth Test match between England and India will be played at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, from July 23 onwards.