Rishabh Pant, never too far from a good laugh, stole the spotlight with his stump-mic antics during Day 2 of the first Test between India and England at Headingley. While England mounted a strong response to India’s imposing first innings total, Pant’s witty one-liner to spinner Ravindra Jadeja left fans and commentators smiling.
Watch: Rishabh Pant teases Jadeja
During a routine over from Jadeja, one of his deliveries spun way down the leg side, forcing Pant to make an acrobatic dive to collect it. The ball could have easily gone for byes, which means runs charged to the wicketkeeper, and Pant wasn’t having any of it.
“Main bhi khel raha hu bhai, apne chauke ke chakkar mein mera chaukka mat dena!” he quipped, in his humorous tone. (“I’m also playing, brother. In trying to avoid giving away a boundary, don’t give away a four against me!”) He said to tell Jadeja not to fire down the leg and give byes runs.
Adding to the on-field drama was captain Shubman Gill, who offered his own tactical insight mid-over. “Abhi ye pura confused hai Jaddu bhai, kaunsi seedhi hai aur kaunsi udhar. Aayega iska!” (“He’s totally confused now, Jaddu brother — doesn’t know what will turn. His wicket is coming!”), Gill told Jadeja about Ben Duckett.
India vs England – Day 2 Summary:
- India 471 all out: Gill 147, Pant 134
- England 209/3 at stumps: Pope 100*, Duckett 62
- Bumrah shines with 3 wickets
- Jadeja, Siraj, and Prasidh went wicketless
