Indian batters and their latest obsession with rolling their arms over to bowl is not new. The latest to join the trend was none other than the star wicketkeeper-batter, Rishabh Pant. Shubman Gill faced a new spinner in the form of Pant, who bowled leg spin. In a video posted by the BCCI on their social media, KL Rahul humorously asked if Pant had bowled in the recently concluded Delhi Premier League 2024, to which he responded, “Aur kya, ek hee run chahiye tha.” Pant had his batting pads on while bowling to Gill and seemed to be having a great time as he exclaimed, “Kya beat karaya yaar.”
Shubman Gill, who faced Pant, gave his final verdict and said, “Tagdi practice karwayi thi tune, Rishabh.” The atmosphere within the Indian team appeared relaxed as the players never miss an opportunity to have fun, even amidst intense training sessions. With the black soil of the Kanpur pitch known for its slow turn and low bounce, Pant seemed to have provided Gill with a good practice session. The Indian team arrived in Kanpur two days ago from Chennai and immediately hit the ground running.
New spinner in town?
The Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill bond
The bond between Gill and Pant is well-known, as the two batters guided India to an emphatic 280-run victory over Bangladesh in the 1st Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. The duo shared a 167-run stand in the 2nd innings, scoring their respective centuries. Gill notched up his 5th Test ton, remaining unbeaten on 119, while Pant made a brilliant comeback to Test cricket with a 109-run knock.
It was his 6th Test century, equalling MS Dhoni’s record for the most hundreds in red-ball cricket for India. Their efforts ensured India set a mammoth 4th innings target of 515 runs for Bangladesh. Ravichandran Ashwin’s six-wicket haul ensured Bangladesh were bundled out for 234 runs.
“I think one thing that I understood over a period of time is that when you have a great relationship off the field, it really helps to bat with that guy. When you have a great bond outside the field, you understand how the other person is thinking, how the game is moving around, and we were just having fun, having fun chats,” Pant shared, revealing his bond with Gill.
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