[Watch] Rishabh Pant gets stumped off Maheesh Theekshana's bowling for just 6 runs in IND vs SL 3rd ODI 

Team India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was dismissed in an ugly fashion inside the powerplay of Maheesh Theekshana's bowling in the third ODI against Sri Lanka. The left-handed batter scored only six runs off nine deliveries in the crucial series finale at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Wednesday, August 7.

Pant, who came into the playing XI in place of KL Rahul, walked out to bat at No.4 following skipper Rohit Sharma's dismissal. He got off to a strong start by scoring a boundary off his very first ball.

Rishabh Pant had a huge test ahead of him in the form of a tricky run chase, a testing surface, and a spin quartet. However, he perished in the early stages of his innings itself while trying to take on Maheesh Theekshana in the tenth over.

Pant stepped down the track to play an expansive shot against the off-spinner, but connected with thin air as the ball spun a great deal after pitching. The wicketkeeper completed a regulation stumping with Pant miles off the crease.

Have a look at the dismissal right here:

This was Rishabh Pant's first ODI appearance since November 2022. He did not have a memorable outing with the bat, as well as on the field. The wicketkeeper botched a relatively simple stumping, giving Maheesh Theekshana a reprieve and earning the wrath of the bowler and his skipper.

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Team India struggling in the run chase as Kohli and Axar depart after Pant

The Men in Blue are absolutely tottering in the run chase, much like the two matches prior to the third ODI. Pant's dismissal had left India at 63-3. However, the situation has worsened to 73-5 as Virat Kohli and Axar Patel have also been dismissed by Dunith Wellalage.

The Men in Blue currently have Shreyas Iyer out in the middle along with debutant Riyan Parag. India are trailing 0-1 in the series, and a loss here would mark their first bilateral series defeat to Sri Lanka since 1997.

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