IND vs ENG: 'What is the tone?' - Gautam Gambhir slammed after Rishabh Pant’s 'brainfade' dismissal

Rishabh Pant's Century Overshadowed by Coaching Intervention Debate

Rishabh Pant's remarkable century at Headingley during the first Test against England was partially overshadowed by discussions about potential coaching intervention impacting his natural game. The 27-year-old batsman's innings of 134, which surpassed MS Dhoni's record for most centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper-batter, ended with a dismissal that sparked commentary from Dinesh Karthik regarding head coach Gautam Gambhir's possible influence.

Rishabh Pant celebrates his century against England.

Pant celebrated his milestone with a somersault, delighting the Leeds crowd. His century contributed significantly to India's total of 471, joining Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill as centurions in the innings.

The dismissal occurred in the 108th over when Josh Tongue delivered an inswinging ball that Pant misjudged, resulting in the ball hitting his pad. Replays confirmed the ball would have hit middle and leg stump.

Dinesh Karthik, commentating for Sky Sports, noted a shift in Pant's approach, suggesting a possible message from the coaching staff. He said, "Also very interesting, when a message was sent out to Rishabh Pant, it curbed his style of play. He was just very carefree with his stroke making, and yet the feeling that a message was sent to tell him to calm down doesn't work for certain players, I guess."

Karthik emphasized the significance of communication methods between coaches and players. "As a coach, it's completely understandable when you want to get a message across to the batter. But over time, you realise, for certain players, how you send that message becomes very important, what is the tone, what is the language used that gets the best out of the batter," he stated.

The former India wicketkeeper-batter proposed that a different strategy might be necessary for Pant. "Maybe with Rishabh Pant, it needs to be a different way in which you get things done," Karthik commented.

India's innings saw a collapse in the first session of Day 2, with four wickets falling in the final thirty minutes. Shubman Gill (147), Karun Nair (0), Rishabh Pant (134), and Shardul Thakur (1) were dismissed during this period.

The Indian team's final seven wickets fell for just 41 runs, with Josh Tongue and Ben Stokes taking four wickets each for England. England captain Stokes won the toss and chose to bowl first at Headingley.

The innings featured three centurions from India - Jaiswal, Gill, and Pant - who propelled the team to a substantial total despite the late collapse. Their contributions were the backbone of India's first innings score of 471.

The match situation showcased both India's batting strength, highlighted by their century-makers, and their susceptibility to losing wickets in clusters during the latter part of their innings. England's bowlers, particularly Tongue and Stokes, capitalized on this period to restrict India's total.