Gargi Raut in Edgbaston
Rishabh Pant and Test cricket is a match made in heaven. His batting style is one that leaves the audience wondering what format of the game they’re watching. Yesterday’s inning was no respite for the Indian fans either. While Pant scored back-to-back centuries in the Test match in Leeds, his innings left fans wanting more.
In his twin tons at the Headingley, Pant showed incredible restraint, using his defence and constantly telling himself “Play with a straight bat”, as heard on the stump mic. While he tried a few audacious shots, he would immediately pull back and remind himself of what is at stake.
Yesterday, Pant started off well. He walked in when India had just lost a set Yashasvi Jaiswal. The responsibility was now on the skipper, Shubman Gill and his deputy, Pant to steady the ship. The vice captain was looking good ahead of the Tea break, restraining himself well and playing out the overs.
Gill was about a hundred deliveries in and looked settled, while Pant, who had played 50 odd balls, was also looking comfortable. It was a reminder of how Pant had batted in the last Test. While the flamboyant batter gave an occasional ‘heart-attack’ to the spectators rooting for him to score big, it looked like he had learnt his lesson from the Border-Gavaskar Trophy where he was called out by Sunil Gavaskar.
This time around, the setup for Pant was almost textbook. Shoaib Bashir was brought on and in the middle of a disciplined spell he floated one up. The field had clearly been set for an attempted big shot, with a long-on in place. Yet, once again, Pant went for it in an attempt to clear the rope, but this time the delivery was slower and fuller and Pant mistimed it, holing out to Zak Crawley who held onto the catch at long-on.
Ben Stokes, the England captain, alongside Bashir, had laid the trap with precision. Meanwhile, despite getting his eye in, despite his recent form, and despite seeing the fielder right in front of him, Pant walked right into the trap. And when he did so, the captain at the other end had frustration written all over his face. It was almost like you could read Gill’s mind, echoing what every other Indian fan was thinking at the moment, “Why would he go for that shot when a fielder was right there?” The damage was done, it was another careless shot in a situation where India needed its deputy to perform.
But that’s the paradox of Rishabh Pant, he brings people as much joy as he does exasperation. When he gets going, there’s no stopping him, he’s a meticulously written theatre play. But when it goes wrong, it leaves us all clutching our heads, wondering how he can just throw his wicket away so casually.
He is a batter who leaves fans at the edge of their seats, never knowing what is coming next, not knowing whether to laugh or scream into a pillow. He is a genius at work but geniuses make mistakes too. But that’s the beauty of watching Pant bat, for every reckless shot, there is a knock that will turn the game on its head. When you’re watching him bat, there’s always a sense that something extraordinary will happen the very next delivery. Be it brilliance or disaster.
Follow Revsportz for latest sports news