WATCH: Rishabh Pant gives the Chahal pose after smashing Jack Leach for a falling boundary
Rishabh Pant has had a wood over Jack Leach whenever the two have faced off in Test cricket, with the former’s aggressive streak making it for a thrill-a-minute contest.
As Leach came on to bowl his first over on Day 4 at Edgbaston, Pant, having already got to a fifty, went for a shuffling, falling over sweep right away, to a ball pitched well outside the off stump. The ball raced towards the long-leg for a boundary, and the batter, high on confidence just watched it while holding his pose after having fallen on the ground.
Pant’s pose was similar to that of Yuzvendra Chahal’s famous pose from the 2019 World Cup, and has been trending since, while also showcased by the leg-spinner himself during his IPL 2022 hattrick against the Kolkata Knight Riders earlier this year.
Watch Rishabh Pant’s shot and the subsequent pose here:
— ParthJindalClub (@ClubJindal) July 4, 2022
Pant was eevntually dismissed to Leach, just for the second time in Tests, as an attempted reverse-sweep was edged to Joe Root at the lone slip when on 57.
Earlier, India resumed at an overnight 125/5, and Cheteshwar Pujara showed some positivity early on, striking three fours off James Anderson within the first 30 minutes of play. However, the No.3 fell soon after, smashing a short and wide ball outside off straight to Alex Less at backward point for 64.
Shreyas Iyer was tested with the short-ball ploy by the England seamers, and while the right-hander struck three fours in a 26-ball stay, he fell to a mistimed pull shot off Matty Potts, with the ball being lobbed to Anderson at mid-wicket. That was the 39-year-old’s 100th catch in Test cricket.
India were 206/6 at the time of writing, with Ravindra Jadeja joined by Shardul Thakur at the crease. The hosts had secured a 132-run lead in the first innings, having bundled out England for 284 after they themselves racked 416, despite being reduced to 98/5 after being put in to bat.