As Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant took their guard in the second session of Day 3 of the Duleep Trophy game at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, India A bowlers perhaps were sensing some trouble. We are basically looking at two maverick batters, possessing their own brand of improvisational brilliance. Not surprisingly, what followed was an-hour-and-a-half of thrill-a-minute batting by the duo. It almost seemed as if there was a contest within a contest going on in the middle, as the duo tried to match each other’s stroke-play.
Among the two, it is a question of who is a little more unorthodox. Perhaps it is Pant. To give credence to that point, just write down ‘Rishabh Pant’s best shots’ in the YouTube search box and you would end up getting several one-handed strokes, with the bottom-hand coming out of the bat handle. Unfortunately for Pant, on the given day, his signature shot led to his dismissal. However, by then, Pant had already put on a grand exhibition and taken his side to safer waters.
There is something else to look out for with Pant and that is the scoop and reverse-scoop. Even James Anderson, renowned for his exemplary control, was at the receiving end of his pyrotechnics around three years ago. At the Chinnaswamy Stadium, it was the turn of Akash Deep to feel the pressure. Although the Bengal seamer might point out that it didn’t exactly come off the screws, and the ball went between the first slip fielder and wicketkeeper.
Pant’s batting wasn’t just about scoops and one-handed deliverance, as he also cracked enough orthodox drives and the pull. He also picked the length quickly while facing the spinners. The volley of shots did irritate India A bowlers, evidenced by Khaleel Ahmed exchanging a few words with Pant.
At the other end, there was Sarfaraz. It took just one ball after the lunch break for him to get into his groove as he collected five boundaries in a single over bowled by Akash. That over itself served as a good study material to analyse Sarfaraz’s game. More than footwork, it was his hands that helped him neatly guide Akash through the gully region and also crunch a square cut. A few minutes later, Khaleel’s short and wide delivery was smashed over the cover region. It was his hands that again turbocharged the shot.
Just that all good things have to come to an end at some point. Avesh Khan’s hit-the-deck skills bothered Sarfaraz and eventually he was dismissed by the tall pace bowler. Despite losing his batting partner, Pant continued to deliver meaty blows before he too was dismissed.
As Pant slowly trudged back to the pavilion, the only regret was just a few hundred fans were in the stands to witness some exhilarating batting. But those saw it, loved every bit of it.