England skipper Ben Stokes said on Tuesday that he “truly enjoys” watching Rishabh Pant bat, even when he’s the one suffering from the Indian wicketkeeper’s bold stroke-play.
Pant recently became only the second keeper in Test cricket history to hit centuries in both innings of a match against England at Headingley. Even though he put in a tremendous performance, India fell short by five wickets last week, handing England a 1-0 advantage in the five-match Test series.
The 27-year-old Pant showed his intent right away in Leeds by advancing down the track to the second delivery he faced and driving Stokes straight for four—a shot that brought a smile to the England captain’s face.
Stokes, who is himself known for attacking batting, expects more fireworks from Pant but is determined to restrict his scoring after innings of 134 and 118.
“Even though he’s on the other side, I really enjoy watching Rishabh bat,” Stokes told reporters during his pre-match media interaction before the second Test at Edgbaston, starting Wednesday.
I really admire the way he plays across all formats.. He’s taken some criticism in the past, but when you allow a talent like that to play freely, you see what he did last week.
“If you look back, credit where it’s due: two centuries in the same match. We know he gives us opportunities because of the way he plays. On another day, one of those chances might have been taken.
“He’s a serious threat, but I genuinely enjoy watching Rishabh play.
Asked if he was expecting a similar approach from Pant in Birmingham, Stokes replied: “I don’t think he’ll change much in the way he plays.”
‘Extra pressure on India’
A relatively young Indian side, led by new captain Shubman Gill who scored a hundred himself, fought hard for much of the Headingley Test, which England won with the tenth-highest successful chase in Test history (371 runs).
However, batting collapses—losing 7 wickets for 41 runs after being 430 for 3, and 6 for 31 from 333 for 4—hurt India’s chances in Leeds.
“They’re a strong side,” Stokes said on Tuesday. They consistently fight hard and show tremendous passion on the field.
No team faces quite as much scrutiny as India does, especially given the sport’s huge popularity in the world’s most populous country. With Gautam Gambhir as coach, India have now been defeated in seven and 3 won one draw of their past eleven Tests.
It’s clear that professional athletes have to handle pressure,” Stokes remarked. “But playing cricket for India probably brings even more of it than for anyone else. We’re not assuming anything just because of what happened last week.
“We tried to deliver a good performance at Headingley. Hopefully we can try another one here to go 2-0 up this match.”
