ENG vs IND | Twitter amused as Pant gives himself pep talk after falling prey to intrusive thoughts

Gantavya Adukia

ByGantavya Adukia,SportsCafe Editor

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Rishabh Pant continued to enthrall Headingley with audacious strokeplay for India against England

Test cricket is played as much in the mind as on the ground, with temperament and composure prerequisites to survive five gruelling days in the field. Rishabh Pant does not fit any such conventional moulds, which is why he keeps reminding himself to respect the game as was the case in Leeds.

England established a firm foothold on Day 4 of the first Test in Headingley by scalping Indian skipper Shubman Gill with just the seventh ball of the morning session to leave them reeling at 92/3. However, a tall order still awaited the hosts with the well-settled KL Rahul joined by Rishabh Pant at the crease who had scored a flamboyant ton in the first-innings. The talisman looked intent on repeating his heroics on Monday with even more aggression despite the pitch starting to misbehave, before being hit with a reality check.
Pant charged down Chris Woakes on the second ball of his innings, much like he had done a couple days ago, and then replicated the antic later in the pacer’s spell. Nevertheless, Brydon Carse kept plugging away at the other end in a searing spell, and Pant decided it was time to take him down too. A wild slog sweep followed on the third ball of the 33rd over, only for it to fly over the slip cordon off a top edge, but it was only the trailer to what was to follow. Carse went straight and full next-up, only for Pant to fall over across the stumps as he tried to ramp the Dukes over fine leg. Luckily for him, a thick inside edge helped survive an LBW review but the incident sent a strong warning signal to the wicket-keeper batter.
“Straight ball hein Rishabh, aise ye zaroori nahi hein, theek hein. Maarna hein tho seedha lag jayega next ball pe [It was a straight ball Rishabh, this is not necessary, okay? If you want to hit then it will come straight up next ball,,” Pant told himself after the incident. Twitterati seconded his thoughts.
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Typical

Centuries

One match

Nitpicking

Six smashed

Milestone

We've got Pant

Really

Wow

That's how

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