I always enjoy troubling opposition batsmen: Rishabh Pant on sledging
India defeated Australia by 31 runs in the opening Test match at the Adelaide Oval and the credit goes to Indian bowlers and Cheteshwar Pujara. The bowlers did exceptionally well to take 20 wickets in the match, while Pujara led the charge with his exemplary batting and scored 123 and 71, respectively.
However, there was another factor that troubled the Aussie batsmen - Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. The young glovesman was all over the hosts with his crazy antics behind the stumps. Pant taunted their batsman at regular interval to distract them.
After the match, the 21-year-old told the media that he enjoys troubling batsmen by distracting them.
"I always enjoy troubling batsmen," Pant said.
"I love it when they concentrate on me and not on the bowlers," he added.
Pant was at his chirpy best against Pat Cummins who was facing the brunt of it at the Adelaide Oval.
With Pant constantly talking away behind the stumps, the broadcasters decided to leave the stump mic volume high and not commentate in a bid to listen in what the wicketkeeper had to say.
And it was nothing short of gold.
In the 76th over of the match, as Ravichandran Ashwin bowled to Cummins, he continued to try and force Cummins to manufacture a shot as India looked to get the sixth wicket ahead of lunch.
He taunted Cummins by commenting, "Let's see some sixes, come on Patty", "Not going for the shots Patty?."
Pant's main motif it seemed was to make Cummins go for the big shot and make him commit a mistake as the pacer settled in the middle.
However, it didn't work out as Cummins negotiated the over pretty well and took a single off the last ball of the over to open his account.
While there was nothing bad or abusive said, Pant's amusing choice of words did cause a laugh or too among the commentators and spectators.
This is the not the first time he has been heard trying to make something happen as Pant was also heard trying to demoralise Usman Khawaja during the first innings of the Test match.
Pant was heard saying "Not everyone is Pujara here, lads" during the 30th over of the Australian innings as the southpaw was batting following Shaun Marsh's dismissal right after lunch on day two of the Test match.
Khawaja was the set batsman and was looking to steady the ship for the home side much like Cheteshwar Pujara did on day one of the Test match at Adelaide Oval.
The southpaw looked all set for a big innings until he got a ripper from Ravichandran Ashwin and fell for a 125-ball 28 in the 40th over of the innings.
Meanwhile, Pant also equalled the world record for the most catches taken by wicketkeeper in a Test match. Pant finished with 11 catches, and equalled the record for most dismissals in a Test by a wicketkeeper, sharing it with England's Jack Russell and South Africa's AB de Villiers.
