Rishabh Pant provided some intriguing insight into his mentality on Day 4 of the first Test match between India and England at Headingley, Leeds. The day started with KL Rahul and Shubman Gill resuming from the overnight score of 90/3. However, Brydon Carse packed Gill within five minutes from the start of play, following which Pant was introduced in the middle.
With England looking to capitalise on the early breakthrough, Pant and Rahul had to survive nervy first hour, with conditions also being slightly overcast. The onus was on the pair to help India establish a significant lead, which they eventually did.
The wicketkeeper-batter fancied some big hits in the start, leaving him at a risk of throwing away his wicket. After a couple of edges that landed safely, Pant also survived a LBW scare, which was after an audacious scoop. Then an inside edge came to his rescue, which also costed England a review.
However, soon after the moment Pant was heard muttering words of encouragement to himself, which was caught on the stump-mic. "Straight ball hain Rishabh! Aise yeh zaroori nahi hain, theek hai? Marna hain toh seedha lag jayega na iss ball pe, zabardasti with the wind try kiye ja raha hain," Pant was heard saying.
Dinesh Karthik was requested by Mike Atherton in the commentary booth to translate Pant's remarks.
“First up, he said to himself, if I play with a straight bat, I can still middle it. Don’t try to do too much. He’s almost talking himself into saying he doesn’t need to do anything out of the ordinary. He’s pretty disappointed with what he did, but I hope he listens to himself,” translated Karthik for Pant.
After hearing DK's remarks, Atherton commented that Pant's strategy was intriguing since he had to balance impulse and control when batting. “I mean, it’s interesting, isn’t it? Because it implies that he’s played so much by instinct that instinct just takes over no matter what he’s telling himself to do,” said Atherton.
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Pant and Rahul slammed centuries each and put India in driver's seat after the visitors didn't have the best of start on Day 4. Their efforts helped India pile a strong 364/10 in second innings, leaving England with a 371-run target. England in response reached 21 for the loss of no wickets and need another 350 to win the match. Zak Crawley (12) and Ben Duckett (9) will resume proceedings on the final day as all three outcomes are possible.
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