Day 4 of the Leeds Test saw the calmness of KL Rahul and the madness of Rishabh Pant at the same time in the middle during the first session. Rahul, who completed his half-century, was watchful and disciplined with his approach, while Pant, on the other hand, didn’t shy away from playing his usual audacious shots. The left-handed batter attempted a slog sweep to scoop shot to get the scoreboard moving, while Rahul relied on traditional textbook shots to provide stability to the innings.
The two batters were unbeaten at Lunch, and India was in a stable position at 153/3. Rahul scored an unbeaten 72, while Pant was batting on 32. The 61-run stand helped India recover from the early blow of skipper Shubman Gill, who was dismissed for 8.
During their stand, Rahul played the senior batter’s role with perfection and kept reminding Pant to stay calm when he was looking to play some flashy shots. A video went viral on X, where Rahul was seen telling Pant to watch the ball carefully before hitting.
Rahul told Pant, “Ball achhe se dekho.”
To which the wicketkeeper batter replied: “Nahi aisa nahi hai aise hi ghuma du ball achhe se dekhta hoon.”
In another video, Pant seen telling Rahul, “Paki hui waali ball, Itna Tamiz khelne ke chakkar me choot rahi hai. (That was a ripe delivery to put away, but he’s missing out by being overly cautious.)”
Pant-Rahul stabilise India’s innings before Lunch on Day 4
Earlier, with the pitch offering significant help to the seamers, first-innings centurion Shubman Gill managed to add only two runs to his overnight total before falling to Brydon Carse for 8.
Carse delivered a sharp, good-length ball that nipped back in off the seam, catching Gill off guard. The batter could only manage a thick inside edge, which ricocheted onto the stumps to end his stay early. England continued to create chances. Rahul was dropped by Harry Brook on 58 after reaching his 18th Test half century and Pant survived a DRS review for lbw.
However, Rahul and Pant were watchful in the last half-hour of the session, playing cautiously. Weathering the early freshness of the wicket, they shared a 61-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
