Rishabh Pant played an incredible innings in the first Test against England at Headingley on Saturday. He scored 134 runs, breaking MS Dhoni’s record for the most centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper. Pant celebrated his century with a fun somersault, which entertained the Leeds crowd.
However, his dismissal raised some eyebrows. In the 108th over, England’s Josh Tongue bowled an inswinging delivery that Pant left alone. The ball hit his pad and was shown on replay to be crashing into the stumps. This moment ended Pant’s brilliant innings and triggered criticism from some cricket experts.
Commentator Dinesh Karthik, speaking on reports, pointed out that Pant’s approach seemed to change after receiving a message from the Indian coaching staff. He suggested that Pant looked more cautious after the message, which may have affected his natural attacking style.
Karthik said, “Some players, like Pant, may not respond well to messages telling them to slow down. The tone and words used by coaches matter a lot. They should know how to communicate effectively with different players.”
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He added that the team management might need a different method when guiding Pant, who is known for his fearless and free-flowing style of play.
India’s strong start took a hit on Day 2, when they lost four wickets quickly before lunch. Shubman Gill (147), Karun Nair (0), Rishabh Pant (134), and Shardul Thakur (1) were dismissed in a short span.
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India, who had scored 471 runs with centuries from Jaiswal, Gill, and Pant, suddenly collapsed. The last seven wickets fell for just 41 runs. England bowlers Josh Tongue and Ben Stokes took four wickets each, turning the game around.
While India’s top-order batting looked strong, the sudden fall of wickets exposed their weakness. England’s bowlers took full advantage and brought their team back into the match.
