Rishabh Pant was allowed to take over the commentary for an entire over as the host broadcaster let the Indian wicket-keeper’s verbal volleys play up on the air, with commentary turned off during the first Test in Adelaide on Monday.
Pant, whose chirping from behind the stumps, has caught everyone’s attention during the ongoing Test and this time around Fox Cricket allowed him to take center-stage during R Ashwin’s over to Pat Cummins. The Indian wicket-keeper kept encouraging Cummins to go for a big shot while throwing a subtle sledge, intended or otherwise, at the bowler as well.
Watch (and listen to it) in the clips below.
Stump mic on 🔊
— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) December 10, 2018
It’s cricket like never before, no commentary in the whole over 😮 #AUSvIND #foxcricket pic.twitter.com/8R2nwVMa9W
'Let's see some sixes, come on Patty!'
— Telegraph Sport (@telegraph_sport) December 10, 2018
The highlight of the first Test: @RishabPant777's vocals behind the stumps https://t.co/LtFNtpZKQs #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/RTjB33qsnv
Sunil Gavaskar, known to be a fan of the old-fashioned way of playing cricket, was not impressed with Pant though. Speaking during the post-lunch session in the Sony studios, Gavaskar said it was alright to ‘say anything you want to your teammates, not to the opposition,’ before adding it was not the brightest idea to sledge a fast bowler ahead of a Test match at Perth.
With so much talk before the series began over how the two teams will approach verbal duels, the Adelaide Test has seen plenty of exchanges between bowlers and batsmen from both sides, mostly with a smile. It has been keeping in line with what Virat Kohli told to expect from his side.
“Obviously, there are going to be times when you have to put the batsmen under pressure. Not necessarily crossing the line, but just get into their heads which you expect from any side in the world, not just Australia. It’s going to be there, but it’s not going to happen at the level, which has happened in the past, where both teams have lost control,” Kohli had said before the match.
Fans on Twitter loved it though, for the most part.
Pant giving some simple life lessons from behind the stumps.#AUSvIND
— Suneer (@suneerchowdhary) December 10, 2018
“Not easy to hit sixes here, you know it Pat”!! Pant to Cummins 😂 #AusvInd
— Monica (@monicas004) December 10, 2018
*Ashwin bowling*
— Akki (@CrickPotato1) December 10, 2018
Pant's brain:
Don't say it
Don't say it
Don't say it
Don't say it
Don't say it
Don't say it
Don't say it
Don't say it
Don't say it
Pant: Come on Ash, come on Ash, Ash come on, Ash......#INDvAUS
Big fan of Rishabh Pant sledging his own bowlers.#AUSvIND 🏏🇦🇺🇮🇳
— Guerilla Cricket (@guerillacricket) December 10, 2018
Pant to Cummins in last over 🤣
— Saurabh (@imsgshinde) December 10, 2018
C'mon Pat. Hit some sixes
Pat. Hit some sixes, not easy to survive
Someone is not seeing the ball
C'mon Ash. Not putting bad balls away. Difficult to survive Pat
Damn the way he says all this. Laughed so much 🤣 #AUSvIND #INDvAUS
Rishabh Pant has intelligently Sledged his own teammates twice in the match 😂
— Saurabh (@imsgshinde) December 10, 2018
1) " Not everyone is Pujara here "
2) " C'mon Pat, not putting bad balls away. C'mon Pat "#AUSvIND