India’s hopes of staging a fightback against England took a massive blow on Day 3 after an unsettling pre-lunch session saw the young top order falter under relentless pressure. With a daunting first-innings deficit and star keeper-batter Rishabh Pant unlikely to bat, concerns about India’s batting depth have deepened.

"This was somewhat on the cards, given how England performed with the bat in the first innings. That little session before lunch today felt like a reality check. And honestly, it’s only human for someone like Yashasvi Jaiswal or Sai Sudharsan to fall in this manner. We’re now expecting the impossible from a young batting line-up that’s done well so far, but is now facing a massive deficit with their backs against the wall," JioHotstar expert Sanjay Manjrekar said.

The dismissals highlighted England’s tactical brilliance,

"These are situations even seasoned batters struggle with. We saw a bit of tentativeness. Chris Woakes was smart, coming around the wicket, bowling one full delivery followed by a short one, which is rare. Jofra Archer also let one rip, and it had real bite. When you look at the batting order, it’s concerning, especially with Rishabh Pant unlikely to bat. Beyond this, it’s Jadeja and Washington Sundar. We must brace for the worst, and anything better will be a bonus,” explained Manjrekar.

On Jaiswal’s dismissal, Manjrekar's analysis was on point: “When you analyse Jaiswal’s dismissal, the delivery that got him out was fuller, but it landed in the same area as the previous one, which he had handled well. So this is a batter whose mind was slightly muddled. A couple of inches made the difference between a confident stroke and a soft dismissal. This is where greatness lies, in being able to replicate what you did earlier in the series under different pressure. But it’s hard. These are young players, and they’ll have days like this. We need to keep that in perspective.”