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Rishabh Pant’s hilarious banter with Jamie Smith during the Headingley Test highlighted his dynamic 134-run knock.
Rishabh Pant scored a century on Day 2 of the Headingley Test (Picture credit: AP)
Star India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was seen having a hilarious banter with England counterpart Jamie Smith, even as the latter looked to alert the fielders to stop the Indian batters from running too many runs. Pant was the star of the show in the first session of Day 2 of the Headingley Test.
A collapse on either side of lunch on Saturday, June 21, saw India lose their last seven wickets for 41 runs inside 12 overs despite Pant‘s dynamic 134.
The runs continued to flow as wicketkeeper Pant, 65 not out overnight, went to a century in spectacular style.
“No twos,” Smith told his fielders during one of Shoaib Bashir’s overs. “Yeah, if he gives me a full toss, no twos. He’s bowling well,” Pant replied. Watch the video here:
Notably, Pant’s ‘bowling well’ comment came soon after he had smacked two sixes in that over, which made his point even more sarcastic and hilarious.
Pant charged down the track to Bashir before hoisting the latter high over deep midwicket for six despite one hand coming off the bat.
Pant’s seventh century in 44 Tests and fourth against England, came off 146 deliveries including 10 boundaries and four sixes in an aggressive knock.
Pant then celebrated his hundred with an acrobatic somersault. He smashed another six off Bashir as skipper Shubman Gill continued to score elegantly.
But just when England were wondering where their next wicket was coming from, Gill’s mistimed pick-up shot off Bashir flew straight to Brydon Carse at deep square leg as the captain fell for 147.
Gill’s exit ended a stand of 209 in 49 overs with Pant, which had taken India to 430/4 and opened the door for a flurry of wickets to give England hope.
Pant, having played a succession of extraordinary strokes, was LBW, offering no shot to Josh Tongue to end a knock that featured 84 runs in fours.
Shardul Thakur was caught behind off England skipper Ben Stokes to force an early lunch before Tongue polished off the tail with a three-wicket burst.
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