Gautam Gambhir was under investigation by Dinesh Karthik for allegedly emailing Rishabh Pant the incorrect message, which may have led to his termination.
Rishabh Pant’s Dazzling Century Lights Up Headingley, Surpasses MS Dhoni’s Record
Rishabh Pant mesmerized the Headingley crowd on Saturday with an enthralling century against England in the first Test of the five-match series. To the pleasure of the crowded Leeds audience, the left-handed batter performed a somersault celebration after reaching the milestone. With this century, Rishabh Pant also surpassed MS Dhoni as the Indian wicketkeeper-batter with the most hundreds. A moment of cognitive slip by the left-handed child led Josh Tongue to finally disqualify Pant for 134.
Gambhir Faces Heat Over Mid-Innings Call; Dinesh Karthik Questions Tactics
Head coach Gautam Gambhir came under fire from former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik, who was then on Sky Sports, for allegedly giving Pant the wrong message in the middle. He alluded to the possibility that the 27-year-old was instructed to alter his style of play following the defeats of Karun Nair and Shubman Gill.
Pant’s Dismissal: A Moment of Misjudgment
Josh Tongue got the ball to curve back in late on the second ball of the 108th over. The ball ended up striking Pant right about the knee roll because he failed to offer a shot. The ball smashed the middle and leg stumps, according to the replays.
Karthik’s Take: Did a Message Disrupt Pant’s Flow?
Interestingly, Rishabh Pant’s style of play was curtailed when a message was given to him. The impression that a message was conveyed to him to cool down doesn’t work for some players, I suppose,” Dinesh Karthik remarked on radio. “He was simply really casual with his stroke making.”
A Call for Adaptive Coaching
“It is very reasonable for a coach to want to convey a message to the batter. But as time passes, you learn to see that, for some players, the way you convey that message—the tone and language used—becomes crucial in bringing out the best in the batter,” he continued.
According to Dinesh Karthik, Gambhir needs to realize that his strategies need to adapt if he wants to get the most out of Rishabh Pant.
“With Rishabh Pant, there might need to be a different approach to getting things done,” Karthik stated.
India Collapse Before Lunch on Day 2, Lose Four Wickets in Final 30 Minutes Including Set Gill and Pant
India lost four wickets in the final 30 minutes of the first session on Day 2, wasting the lead. Shardul Thakur (1), Rishabh Pant (134), Karun Nair (0), and Shubman Gill (147) were all dismissed.
In the end, India was packed out for 471. The top three players, Jaiswal, Gill, and Pant, scored a ton of goals for the visitors. Ben Stokes and Josh Tongue each took four wickets for England. For 41 runs, India lost their last seven wickets.
Stokes, England’s captain, had previously won the toss and opted to bowl first at Headingley.
