"It's about disturbing the bowler mentally" - When Rishabh Pant explained the logic behind his maverick batting style

Team India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant scored terrific hundreds in both innings of the ongoing Test against England at Headingley in Leeds. He scored 134 off 178 balls in the first innings and followed it up with 118 off 140 in the second essay. Pant's knocks usually feature some off-beat strokes. He often charges down the wicket randomly or attempts scoops while falling over.

Not surprisingly, the southpaw's twin hundreds in the Leeds Test had similar ingredients. Before his ton at Headingley, Pant had also scored 146 off 111 balls in the rescheduled Test against England in Birmingham in July 2022. Speaking after the stunning knock, which helped India recover from 98-5, Pant had explained the method behind the madness in his batting. He said (as quoted by Sportstar):

"In English conditions if a bowler pitches it up, it's important to disturb his rhythm, that's what I feel. I don't try to play unidimensional, rather I try out various shots -- sometimes I step out, or play on the backfoot. I keep on using the crease well. It's about disturbing the bowler mentally and things happen. It's not pre-planned. I just focus on what the bowler is trying to do."

The left-handed batter admitted that he had worked hard on his defense because he realized the importance of showing respect to good deliveries. Pant added:

"Yes, I've worked a lot on my defense. My coach, Tarak Sinha Sir had told me long back that you can attack any bowler but at the same time he has always stressed to focus on playing defensively. You can't be defensive or attacking with each ball. I try to focus on each ball and play according to its merit."

Pant's hundred in the first innings of the ongoing Leeds Test was his seventh for India in the red-ball format. With the century, he surpassed MS Dhoni's (6) record and is now the Indian keeper-batter with most Test tons.

---

Rishabh Pant has 4 Test hundreds in England

Pant's hundred in Leeds was his fourth Test century in England. In 19 innings, the left-handed batter has scored 808 runs at an average of 42.52. Before his hundreds in Leeds, he had scored 114 at The Oval in September 2018 and 146 in Birmingham in July 2022.

Six of Pant's eight Test hundreds have been notched up away from home. He smashed 159* in Sydney in January 2019 and 100* in Cape Town in January 2022. Looking at his two Test tons at home, the stumper scored 101 against England in Ahmedabad in March 2021 and 109 against Bangladesh in Chennai in September 2024. Pant has been dismissed in the 90s as many as seven times.