India’s wicketkeeper-batter, Rishabh Pant, was in great form, both behind the stumps and with his funny remarks, on Day 1 of the second Test against New Zealand. The match started on Thursday, October 24, at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.
Rishabh Pant played an important part for the Indian cricket team on the first day. As the wicketkeeper, he took some excellent catches and kept the team’s energy high when they found it tough to take early wickets.
Pant was seen encouraging his teammates to improve their body language and also gave helpful instructions to the bowlers. He made accurate DRS calls and even created a funny moment that had everyone laughing.
Before the third ball of the 78th over, Pant advised bowler Washington Sundar to bowl a fuller delivery to Ajaz Patel. He gave this advice in Hindi, saying, “Washi, aage daal sakte hai,” which means, “Washi, you can bowl fuller.”
Sundar followed Pant’s advice, but Ajaz Patel hit the ball for a four toward mid-on. What made the moment funny was Pant’s reaction after the boundary, as he jokingly said, “Yaar, mereko kya pata issey Hindi aati hai,” meaning, “How would I know that Ajaz understands Hindi?” This playful moment caught everyone’s attention and made fans smile.
Rishabh Pant will be very important for India’s batting in this match. He has been in excellent form recently, and the team is counting on him as they try to score more than New Zealand’s first innings total of 259 runs.
Pant played an incredible knock of 99 runs from 105 balls, with a strike rate of around 95. His innings included 9 fours and 5 sixes, showing his aggressive style. Unfortunately, for the seventh time in his Test career, Pant got out in the 90s, just missing a century.
Pant’s contributions on both sides of the game—his energy behind the stumps and his batting—make him a key player for India in this Test match.
