Sachin Tendulkar points out Pant's
Leeds [UK], June 21 (ANI): India's legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar believes vice-captain Rishabh Pant's falling paddle sweep is not 'accidental' but 'intentional,' which makes it 'extremely clever.' He also decoded the tactical ploy that was in play during captain Shubman Gill's partnership with his deputy.
During Pant's 134(178) blitzkrieg, one shot from his loaded arsenal stood out, the paddle-pulled down shot he executed on several occasions. He used to target the fine leg area with control and pick up runs to keep the scoreboard ticking, especially off Shoaib Bashir.
'Rishabh's falling paddle sweep is not accidental. It is intentional and extremely clever. Going down with the shot allows him to get under the ball and scoop it over leg slip with control,' Sachin wrote on X.
Another aspect that caught Sachin's eye was Gill and Pant's conversation in Hindi during Bashir's over. For the 'Master Blaster', the conversation was a tactical ploy to disrupt Bashir's rhythm, who could extract turn from the dry surface.
'Also noticed something interesting during Bashir's spell. Shubman and Rishabh were speaking loudly in Hindi between deliveries. It wasn't just casual talk. They were playing mind games with the bowler, trying to disrupt his rhythm. These minor details may not appear on the scoreboard, but they can have a significant impact on the game,' he added.
After Yashasvi Jaiswal's explosive 101(159), the captain and vice-captain's act propelled India into a position of control. Gill and Pant forged a 209-run partnership and exposed England's pace bowling attack, bereft of experience.
While Pant switched through gears, Gill maintained one tempo and tried to dictate the game's flow with it. Gill's exploits at the crease concluded after he dragged the ball towards the deep square into the hands of Josh Tongue. He wanted to bring up his 150 in style but was forced to return on 147(227).
Pant, who brought up his century by heaving the ball past the boundary rope with a one-handed maximum, got pinned in front of the stumps by Tongue. He offered no shot, and the ball nipped in to trap Pant in front of the stumps, which pulled the curtains down on his 134(178). India's lower end collapsed after Gill and Pant's return to the dugout and forced the tourists to pack on 471. (ANI)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Pant vs Dhoni erupts again after Leeds show: He's 'India's greatest Test wicketkeeper-batter'. Look at MSD's hundreds...
A stunning century on a dry Headingley track, that propelled India to 471 in the first innings, once again erupted the long-standing debate on "India's greatest-ever Test wicketkeeper-batter." Rishabh Pant, as claimed by former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar, placed himself well ahead in the battle, after his seventh career ton, and third on English soil, on the second day of the opening game in Leeds. Rishabh Pant scored his seventh career Test century on Saturday Manjrekar, speaking to JioHotstar, was full of praise for the box-office knock on Saturday from the India vice-captain, which ably supported skipper Shubman Gill's ton in India putting on a big total in the opening innings of the series. "By far, India's greatest ever Test batter-keeper. I was worried when he was in the 90s that he might end up getting his 8th 90 of his career. It is just unbelievable that he has so many 90s! But he's a breath of fresh air. When he got out and raised his bat, there were a lot of English supporters who stood up and applauded that innings. That's what we love about England — these guys come to watch good cricket. They obviously want their team to win, but when they see excellence from the opposition, you can see true appreciation for it," Manjrekar said. ALSO READ: Jasprit Bumrah caught having animated chat with coach Gautam Gambhir in dressing room as India's bowlers struggle However, the veteran batter did not end there. Later, he consolidated his opinion by dissecting the centuries that Pant and MS Dhoni scored in their Test careers. Manjrekar reckoned that while five of Pant's seven centuries came in SENA nations, for the former India captain, he never scored a ton outside Asia, with his highest being a knock of 92 at The Oval in 2007. "Again, I am a believer in where you got your hundreds, and I'm a big sort of, I always look at hundreds. OK, where have we got it? Pant's got hundreds in England. He's got 100 in South Africa. He's got a couple of hundreds in Australia. So when you look at the MS' hundreds, with all due respect to his fans, his centuries would not be so much in these countries where batting is a bit more challenging, as batting on an Indian pitch. In Test cricket, he's already well ahead of MS," he said. Pant's knock on Day 2 made him the most prolific wicketkeeper-batter for India. He now holds the record for most Test hundreds as a wicketkeeper for India, surpassing Dhoni's tally of six.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
'He makes his own plans': India coach opens up on Rishabh Pant's unique century
Rishabh Pant scored a measured century on Day 2 of the 1st Test against England at Headingley. After the close of play, Indian coach spoke about Pant's approach and lauded his skills. Despite India's strong showing with the bat, England managed to bounce back by causing a mini-collapse towards the end. read more India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak praised Rishabh Pant for his brilliant century on Day 2 of the first Test against England at Headingley. Kotak said that Pant's knock was a bit different from his usual explosive style but lauded the wicketkeeper-batter for helping India post a strong total. Pant smashed 134 off 178 balls , hitting 12 fours and six sixes, and looked in complete control for most of his innings. He joined Shubman Gill (147) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (101) as the third Indian centurion in the innings. Kotak acknowledged that Pant is someone who makes his plans when it comes to batting. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Rishabh Pant is someone who makes his own plans. He decides how to play and then he goes for it,' Kotak said at the press conference after stumps. 'This innings was a little different than what you normally see from him. But that's his plan. Just because he plays aggressive cricket doesn't mean he cannot play defensive.' India had started the day strongly, with Gill and Pant helping the side go past 400 . However, things fell apart quickly after both set batters were dismissed in quick succession. After that, India lost seven wickets for just 41 runs. Kotak spoke about the collapse and said that the team could have done better towards the end. 'It was a bit of a collapse, I would say, because batsmen were also there. From 430 for three to 471 all out, batsmen also got out in it, isn't it? So, it wasn't only the last five; it was a bit of a collapse. We were expecting better than that, but it can happen,' he said. Kotak lauds Shubman Gill Kotak said a busy calendar in the last few months did not give him a lot of time to work with skipper Shubman Gill, who he thought has worked on certain areas since the end of Australia tour. 'After Australia (tour) he has thought (about) certain things which he implemented,' Kotak said. 'Because after (the) Australia (tour) and England series (followed by) Champions Trophy and then we had IPL, I wouldn't say that I had a lot of time to do things (with Gill).' 'But obviously, he worked on certain things and as soon as I saw him in the nets, I did speak to him that 'you made certain changes' and he said yes. A lot of credit to him for analysing what he needs to do and I think he did it really well,' Kotak said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Kotak dismissed complacency in India's approach given that they ended the first day's play in a commanding position at 359 for three. 'I don't think I saw complacency. But I think after 350 for three, you expect to get a big score because that time you are sitting in a comfortable position. I don't think people were satisfied at all,' he said. 'It is just (how) they (England) bowled well and (there were also a) couple of soft dismissals. 'After losing the toss the way we batted it was very good because at Headingley, normally on Day One, a lot of wickets get taken by the bowling side and results also show the same so we batted well on the first day,' he added. Kotak on Bumrah's wicket off a no-ball In the final minutes of the second day's play, Jasprit Bumrah (3/48) overstepped on a delivery which he had Harry Brook caught at midwicket. 'Normally, it doesn't happen, but it was a bit unfortunate. But I think, as a group of support staff or as a team also, it is one of those things which happen,' he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We have been bowling well, apart from little patches where we (gave away) a few runs. All in all, it was very good and the wicket is also looking good; something (is) happening off the wicket,' he said. (With agency inputs)
Mint
4 hours ago
- Mint
Root overtakes Jayasuriya to become 9th highest international cricket run-getter
Leeds [UK], June 22 (ANI): England batter Joe Root overtook Sri Lankan legend Sanath Jayasuriya to become the ninth-highest run-getter in international cricket on Saturday. Root achieved this upward movement in the charts during his side's first Test match against India at Leeds. During his innings, he scored 28 in 58 balls, with two fours. He ultimately fell to Jasprit Bumrah for the 10th time in 25 innings, averaging 29 against him. In 366 international matches, Root has scored 21,053 runs in 479 innings at an average of 49.30, with 54 centuries and 112 fifties; his best score is 262. He is England's top run-getter of all time across all formats, including Tests and ODIs. On the other hand, Jayasuriya, the SL legend, scored 21,032 runs in 651 innings at an average of 34.14, with 42 centuries and 103 fifties. His best score is 340. The top run-getter in international cricket is Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian icon. He has scored 34,357 runs in 664 matches in 782 innings at an average of 48.52, with 100 centuries and 164 fifties. His best score is 248*. In Test cricket, Root has scored 13,034 runs in 154 matches and 280 innings at an average of 50.71, with 36 centuries and 65 fifties. His best score is 262. In ODIs, he has made 7,126 runs at an average of 49.14 in 180 matches and 169 innings, with 18 centuries and 42 fifties. In 32 T20Is and 30 innings, he has scored 893 runs at an average of 35.72, with a strike rate of 126.30 and five half-centuries. His best score is 90*. Coming to the match, England ended day two on 209/3, with Ollie Pope (100*) and Harry Brook (0*) unbeaten. A half-century from Ben Duckett (62 in 94 balls, with nine fours) and his century partnership with Pope gave England a boost after the early dismissal of Zak Crawley. Jasprit Bumrah (three wickets) made problems for England with timely strikes but barely found support from other bowlers. England trails by 262 runs. England, on day one, won the toss and opted to bowl first. Centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal (101 in 159 balls, with 16 fours), skipper Shubman Gill (147 in 227 balls, with 19 fours and a six) and Rishabh Pant (134 in 178 balls, with 12 fours and six sixes) took India to 471. 430/4 at one point, skipper Ben Stokes (4/66) and Josh Tongue (4/86) caused a collapse. (ANI)
