Picture Credit: Twitter/@BCCI
Flamboyant wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant does like to express himself on the pitch. When runs don't come the usual way, he doesn't mind taking the unorthodox route. To counter the English conditions where the ball usually swings more, Pant is standing out of his crease in the entire series. However, during the first day of the third Test between England and India at Headingley, where India were eventually bowled out for 78, he was told by the umpires not to do so.
The left-handed batter had a short stay at the wicket and was dismissed for just two runs from nine balls right after the lunch break. England pacer Ollie Robinson got the ball to swing away from him and the 23-year-old was tempted to play a stroke at it but managed just an edge to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.
During his short stay at the crease, the Delhi lad even had a little conversation regarding his stance with the umpire and the latter told him to bat a bit closer to the stumps. Later Pant revealed why the umpire had to intervene.
My front foot was coming into the danger area, reveals Pant
"Because I was standing outside the crease and my front foot was coming into the danger area, so he (the umpire) told me that you can’t stand there," Pant said during the virtual post-day press conference after the end of Day's play at Leeds.
"So, I have (had) to change my stance, but as a cricketer, I don’t have to think too much about that because it’s everyone who is going to do that, umpires are going to say the same thing. I didn’t do that the next ball and you move on," he added.
Notably, the danger zone is an area on the pitch which is straight in line with the stumps on either side of the wicket. Bowlers, fielders, and batsmen are strictly told to stay away from this area as their spikes could damage the pitch and tamper the playing conditions. Usually, the bowlers step onto this area on their follow-through are warned once or twice before they are taken out of the attack.