54:Rishabh Pant &
Rishabh Pant and Rohit Sharma are among the jolly characters of the Indian team for the last few years. The wicketkeeper-batter is often heard having a fun interaction with his teammates, to keep them chilled under pressure. On the other hand, skipper Sharma is known to handle pressure well and provide confidence to the bowlers.
In the ongoing fixture between England and India at Edgbaston, Birmingham, Pant got an opportunity to open for India. This was due to Ishan Kishan being rested to shuffle India's XI. In the first over of India's innings, Pant got off to the mark through a risky single, which witnessed a hilarious incident taking place.
The 24-year-old nudged the ball towards the silly mid-on area, but the bowler David Willey came in between the way of the batter. After reaching the other end, Pant told Sharma, he [Willey] came in front of him, should I hit him?. Then, Sharma cheekily gave a green signal to the plea of the wicket-keeper.
Pant tells to Shama: “Saamne aa gaya tha, takkar maar du kya?”
The Indian captain replied: “Maar de aur kya.”
Indian batting unit fails to continue same momentum
It was a terrific start from the Indian openers, Pant and Sharma, to help India cross the score of 60 in the powerplay overs. However, wickets feel like a pack of cards, with the likes of Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav falling in quick succession. The reliable scorer Dinesh Karthik also could not hold the fort and was dismissed for 12.
Ravindra Jadeja's hefty contribution towards the end helped the team to post a respectable total on the board. It certainly will give enough cushion to the bowlers in defending the score and bowling their heart out to help Men in Blue secure a series victory.