June 21, 2025
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Rishabh Pant snaps at Shubman Gill's aggression, calls him out for taking aerial risk: 'Neeche reh ke nikal'

Rishabh Pant snaps at Shubman Gill’s aggression, calls him out for taking aerial risk: ‘Neeche reh ke nikal’

Danijones04 mins

Rishabh Pant has built a reputation for living on the edge in Test cricket, whether through flamboyant strokeplay or constant stump-mic chatter. But on Friday at Headingley, in a surprise role reversal, it was Pant reining in someone else’s instincts. In the final session of Day 1 of the first Test between India and England, Pant turned advisor. As Shubman Gill eyed a late-day surge against England’s rookie spinner Shoaib Bashir, Pant, stationed at the non-striker’s end, issued a sharp warning. Rishabh Pant cautions Shubman Gill (L) after he steps out against Shoaib Bashir(X) Gill had just danced down the track and driven a fuller ball from Bashir straight to short cover. Instantly, Pant cautioned him, pointing out the danger in trying to hit too hard or too high. “Niche hi reh nikal raha hai toh. Ye aa jaata, uth gaya,” Pant told Gill. Roughly translated: “Keep it down if you’re stepping out. That one rose a bit, could’ve been caught.” Watch: For a player known for daring uppercuts and outrageous sixes in the dying overs, it was a striking shift in tone; Pant played the wise enforcer, urging India’s new captain not to throw away his hand. Interestingly, the roles flipped in the last over of the day. With Chris Woakes steaming in, Pant danced out and sent a length ball soaring over deep square leg for six, finishing the day on a rollicking 65*. Earlier, Shubman Gill marked his captaincy debut in style, stroking a composed, unbeaten 127 after a fluent century from Yashasvi Jaiswal (101). Together, they put on a 129-run stand that laid the foundation for India’s commanding 359/3 at stumps. Rishabh Pant then joined forces with Gill for an unbroken 138-run partnership, as England’s depleted bowling attack wilted. England captain Ben Stokes’ decision to bowl first backfired, with Shoaib Bashir and Brydon Carse unable to stem the flow. Woakes was expensive and wicketless, while Stokes picked up two but struggled to apply sustained pressure. The day, though, belonged to India’s young trio of Gill, Jaiswal and Pant. KL Rahul, too, played a helping hand earlier in the first session, scoring an important 42 as he helped stitch a 92-run stand for the opening wicket. India handed a debut to Sai Sudharsan, who failed to make a mark in his first innings, departing without troubling the scorers in four deliveries.

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KL Rahul folds hands, bows down to Rishabh Pant after India wicketkeeper's daredevil act vs England close to end of play

KL Rahul folds hands, bows down to Rishabh Pant after India wicketkeeper’s daredevil act vs England close to end of play

Danijones04 mins

With the sunset casting shadows at Headingley, Rishabh Pant did what only Rishabh Pant can dare to do. It was the final over of Day 1 in the first Test at Headingley, a time when most batters would bunker down and play out the day. But not Pant. With India sitting pretty at 351/3, Pant danced down the track to a length delivery from Chris Woakes and dispatched it cleanly over deep square leg for six. KL Rahul bowed to Rishabh Pant in mock reverence following the end of first day’s play in Headingley Test(X/BCCI) Woakes stood there in stunned amusement. So did England captain Ben Stokes, who could only smile in disbelief. But the best reaction came moments later, and not from the field. As Pant climbed up the Headingley steps to return unbeaten on 65, KL Rahul, standing near the entrance of the dressing room, folded his hands and bowed towards the left-hander in a mock gesture of reverence. It was equal parts admiration and banter as Pant refused to curb his aggressive instincts, yet returned unbeaten at the end of the day. Watch:   The six wasn’t born out of recklessness, though. In his typical style, he picked the moment and struck clean. It capped a near-perfect day for India, who ended at 359/3 after being asked to bat first on a green top. Earlier in the day, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill laid the foundation for India’s dominance. Jaiswal became the first visiting batter to hit centuries in his maiden Tests in Australia and England, his fluent 101 showcasing strokeplay and maturity before he was eventually dismissed. Gill, in his first Test as captain, remained unbeaten on 127, a chanceless, composed knock that doubled as a statement of leadership. Pant’s arrival in the final session shifted the tempo. From resisting to releasing, he provided a burst of energy just when England hoped for containment. His 91-ball 65, featuring two sixes and seven fours, came with minimum fuss and maximum intent. Rahul himself played an important knock at the top of the order; while he couldn’t reach his half-century, he played a strong hand, scoring 42 off 78 deliveries to help stitch a 91-run partnership for the first wicket. The lone blot on an otherwise dominant day for India came in the form of Sai Sudharsan’s forgettable debut. Thrown into the deep end after KL Rahul’s dismissal, the left-hander looked tentative and was dismissed for a duck, seemingly undone more by nerves than skill. It was a harsh initiation to Test cricket, but with another innings to come, Sudharsan will be aiming to shake off the jitters and prove he belongs on the big stage.

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