After having replaced Wriddhiman Saha as India’s wicket-keeper for the second test match against Australia Bishop fund has had a mixed bag of emotions on the first day. Although he made a couple of silly errors, and let go of some easy balls, he caught some difficult ones too. On one specific occasion though, during the dismissal of Mathew Wade, the fans could see a glimpse of MS Dhoni in Rishabh Pant!
The Video Of Rishabh Pant That Went Viral On Social Media
To begin with, there had been a lot of controversies regarding the Pant vs Saha issue. People in Pant’s favour pointed out the hopeless situation of the Indian batting order and debated that the side needed an explosive Batsman like the 23-year-old.
— Cricket fan (@Cricketfan093) December 26, 2020
On the other hand, people in Saha’s favour argued that good wicket-keeper is one of the most important resources in test cricket. It is a well-proven fact that Wriddhiman Saha is a much better player so far as wicket-keeping is concerned. However, Rishabh Pant has proven his haters wrong by doing something which was usually done by former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Read Between The Lines; Dhoni Esque
Ravichandran Ashwin was sent seeking a wicket. Bowling against Australian wicketkeeper Mathew Wade, the spinner bowled a series of in-swinging balls. During the ball before Wade’s dismissal, Pant was heard on the stump mic telling, “Andar hi rakhna, ye maarega” (translation:- Keep it inside the stumps. He will hit.) to bowler Ravichandran Ashwin.
As he predicted, Wade went for a big shot the next ball only to be caught in spectacular fashion by Ravindra Jadeja. Pant’s advice and prediction worked in perfect fashion for India reminding fans of former wicket-keeper MS Dhoni who was known for plotting many such dismissals. Moments after the video got viral on Social Media, some fans made nostalgic comments. The fans are proud of the Rishabh Pant and they are seeing in him a ‘future MS Dhoni’.
However, Rishabh Pant’s advice was not the only special thing about the dismissal. There was a big confusion between Shubhman Gill and Ravindra Jadeja who were both running in to catch the ball. In fact, the two players collided but somehow Ravindra Jadeja still managed to take the catch. Collisions like these often prove to be dangerous but we all know the capabilities of Ravindra Jadeja the fielder. Netizens are amazed as to how Jaddu managed to take the catch.
12.4: Matthew Wade sweeps for a FOUR.
Rishabh Pant: Ash, keep it to the stumps, he’ll definitely try to hit.
12.5: Ravi Ashwin bowls to the stumps, Wade hits the aerial shot and got out.
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) December 26, 2020
Rishabh Pant ?
He was saying from behind, “Andar hi rakhna, ye maarega” & it did happen next ball.None of that Haha shit
— Saish ? (@CricketSaish45) December 26, 2020
What Next For Team India In This Test Match And The Series?
At stumps, India has made 36/1 and currently trail by 159 runs. Mayank Aggarwal was dismissed for a duck but debutant Shubman Gill’s performance gives hope. He has looked really comfortable with the bat and is currently batting on 28 (38).
Just like the previous match, the Indian bowling unit gave an exceptional performance today. Restricting Australia’s batting order to just 195 runs is a big achievement indeed. Jaspreet Bumrah took four wickets, Ravichandran Ashwin took three and even debutant Md Siraj took two wickets. Overall, the first day of the second test match was positive for the Indian team, especially for the two debutants Shubhman Gill and Md Siraj.
