In a surprising move, India sent wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant to open the innings alongside Rohit Sharma in the second ODI against West Indies on Wednesday.Pant has never opened in international cricket before. He was an opener in his early domestic and IPL years, but was seen only as a middle-order option for India. In the first ODI he batted at No.4, a position he also occupied in the three-match series against South Africa last month with decent success.The move also caught the netizens unaware, and they reacted with their opinions, apprehensions and some rib-tickling memes. The following are the best of the reactions:Arvind@airwind_acRishabh Pant before the match started today #INDvWI1:42 AM · Feb 9, 2022Rishabh Pant before the match started today #INDvWI https://t.co/d7jefEmA4HNikhil k@Nikhilk_2001Rishabh pant isn’t new to openingHe was groomed as an opener during his u19 daysIronically Dravid was his u19 Indian coachDidn’t take long before he put pant back to that position #INDvsWI1:42 AM · Feb 9, 2022Rishabh pant isn’t new to openingHe was groomed as an opener during his u19 daysIronically Dravid was his u19 Indian coachDidn’t take long before he put pant back to that position #INDvsWISudheer@Sudheer67592774#RishabhPant #RohithSharma Master stroke by Rohit to open with Pant .. If it works , we are in for a sensational future Indian attacking template at the top.1:42 AM · Feb 9, 2022#RishabhPant #RohithSharma Master stroke by Rohit to open with Pant .. If it works , we are in for a sensational future Indian attacking template at the top.RAJVEER SINGH@Sawai807Rohit sharma to West indies team#pant #RishabhPant #RohithSharma #Rahul #INDvsWI #opening1:42 AM · Feb 9, 20222Rohit sharma to West indies team#pant #RishabhPant #RohithSharma #Rahul #INDvsWI #opening https://t.co/W7z8OukcK9W88 India@w88indiateamIndian Fans to this opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant #W88 #W88India #W88IndiaOfficial #INDvWI #IndianCricketTeam1:41 AM · Feb 9, 2022Indian Fans to this opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant 😅#W88 #W88India #W88IndiaOfficial #INDvWI #IndianCricketTeam https://t.co/R4imkKnpAaPrasen Moudgal@Prasen_m4299Whatever the reason is, LOVE the fact that Rishabh Pant is opening the batting. Hopefully he makes it count, nothing like Pant in form right from the start!#INDvWI1:30 AM · Feb 9, 20223Whatever the reason is, LOVE the fact that Rishabh Pant is opening the batting. Hopefully he makes it count, nothing like Pant in form right from the start!😍#INDvWIThe Game Changer@TheGame_26If you are surprised then don't be! Rishabh Pant opened the innings 11 times for India in U19 ODIs between 2015 and 2016, scoring 454 runs at 41.27 with one century and four fifties. #CricketTwitter #INDvWI #TeamIndia #RishabhPant1:41 AM · Feb 9, 202222If you are surprised then don't be! Rishabh Pant opened the innings 11 times for India in U19 ODIs between 2015 and 2016, scoring 454 runs at 41.27 with one century and four fifties. #CricketTwitter #INDvWI #TeamIndia #RishabhPant https://t.co/YE4CeGUOl6Shivaan Shah@shivaan_shahRishabh Pant opening in ODI cricket Tears in my eyes!#IndianCricketTeam1:41 AM · Feb 9, 20221Rishabh Pant opening in ODI cricket 😭😭Tears in my eyes!#IndianCricketTeamRishabh Pant Trends™@TrendsRishabhStop what are you doing right now..Rishabh pant is opening for first time @RishabhPant17 #RP17 #INDvsWI #RishabhPant1:41 AM · Feb 9, 202292Stop what are you doing right now..Rishabh pant is opening for first time 🔥@RishabhPant17 #RP17 #INDvsWI #RishabhPant https://t.co/3A3SzQc5n7Ankit Budhwani@ankit_budhwaniMS Dhoni watching Rohit Sharma - The Captain Promoting Rishabh Pant(Wicket Keeper Batsman) up the orderWholesome Moment1:40 AM · Feb 9, 20221MS Dhoni watching Rohit Sharma - The Captain Promoting Rishabh Pant(Wicket Keeper Batsman) up the orderWholesome Moment https://t.co/ZbzAQHM2zTIntellectual Memes For Stupid Teens@Intellctualmimi#RishabhPant1:39 AM · Feb 9, 20226#RishabhPant https://t.co/jEeG2FbloqHemant@Sportscasmm#INDvWI #INDvsWI Rahul Dravid in the dressing room with Rishabh Pant teaching him how to open in International Cricket:1:39 AM · Feb 9, 20225#INDvWI #INDvsWI Rahul Dravid in the dressing room with Rishabh Pant teaching him how to open in International Cricket: https://t.co/cFOT7bNtjTNishant Sharma@Nishant6862Rishabh Pant - The opening batsman 🧐 #INDvWI1:38 AM · Feb 9, 20221Rishabh Pant - The opening batsman 🧐 #INDvWI https://t.co/iFOs4jbHwAVikram Mahendra@ElRealesVikramIrrespective of whether Rishabh Pant gets out for 0 or makes a double hundred, Rahul Dravid, and implicitly, the new Team India, have already started thinking long term. This is not a bold move, it's the first step of many that RD takes while building his teams.1:38 AM · Feb 9, 20223Irrespective of whether Rishabh Pant gets out for 0 or makes a double hundred, Rahul Dravid, and implicitly, the new Team India, have already started thinking long term. This is not a bold move, it's the first step of many that RD takes while building his teams.Prasenjit Dey@CricPrasenThe last time Rishabh Pant opened in a 50-over game for India.#INDvWI1:38 AM · Feb 9, 202271The last time Rishabh Pant opened in a 50-over game for India.#INDvWI https://t.co/UhkYcnTn0n®️🅰️✌ℹ___🅰️🅰️🅿️@RaviAAP_Rishabh Pant opens #INDvWI match today.Me who has not included him in my fantasy team1:38 AM · Feb 9, 20221Rishabh Pant opens #INDvWI match today.Me who has not included him in my fantasy team https://t.co/nanOvAFQPALucky ❤️✨@LBerojyaWatching Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant bat : #INDvsWI #INDvWI1:38 AM · Feb 9, 2022315Watching Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant bat : #INDvsWI #INDvWI https://t.co/BwsVjacynw𝗗𝗵𝗿𝘂𝗯𝗮 𝗝𝘆𝗼𝘁𝗶 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗵@dhruba__Rishabh pant be like- Tera Bhai aaj opening Karega#INDvsWI #INDvWI #WIvsIND #RohithSharma #Rohitsharma #Viratkohli #KLRahul1:37 AM · Feb 9, 2022Rishabh pant be like- Tera Bhai aaj opening Karega#INDvsWI #INDvWI #WIvsIND #RohithSharma #Rohitsharma #Viratkohli #KLRahul https://t.co/WWppol9trTRajasthan Royals FC™@RoyalFansClubIndian Team Management : #RishabhPant | #KLRahul1:37 AM · Feb 9, 20225Indian Team Management : 😐#RishabhPant | #KLRahul https://t.co/onXuKTytMEAumbeti Roydo@roydoaumbetiRishabh Pant Opening Guys!1:32 AM · Feb 9, 20221169Rishabh Pant Opening Guys! https://t.co/6mqtTNmiTvBalamurugan T@iambala_7Rishabh Pant is opening for team India..#INDvWI1:45 AM · Feb 9, 20226Rishabh Pant is opening for team India..#INDvWI https://t.co/EEwndjvqwHVikrant Gupta@vikrantgupta73Rohit has done a Dhoni here. Taken his first punt with Pant as an ODI opener. Exactly how MSD did with him in 2013 #INDvWI1:36 AM · Feb 9, 20223496352Rohit has done a Dhoni here. Taken his first punt with Pant as an ODI opener. Exactly how MSD did with him in 2013 #INDvWIRicky talks Cricket@CricRickySince I see Rishabh Pant opening, my message to the new team management is1:31 AM · Feb 9, 2022593Since I see Rishabh Pant opening, my message to the new team management is https://t.co/DR2jNhi4znStephenson 2-18@stephenson0218#INDvsWI Opening Pair for today's Match. Rohit Sharma -IronmanRishabh Pant - Spiderman1:37 AM · Feb 9, 2022374#INDvsWI Opening Pair for today's Match. Rohit Sharma -IronmanRishabh Pant - Spiderman https://t.co/6J9iVe91IlWhy is Rishabh Pant opening instead of KL Rahul?This decision could be an attempt to accommodate KL Rahul in the Indian middle order. Rahul missed the first ODI and returned to the team for the second at the expense of young Ishan Kishan, who is also a designated opener.Rahul averages 40 and 56.53 at No.4 and No.5 spots respectively. Over the last few years, he has been seen as a solution to India's perennial middle-order issues. Opening with Pant will allow Rahul to retain his position, while also giving the Delhi Capitals skipper his favored spot in white-ball cricket.It could be a masterstroke or a disaster depending on how the wicketkeeper-batter fares in the new role. But it's certainly the first major punt of the Rahul Dravid-Rohit Sharma era. Pant, with his ability to be aggressive in the powerplay, could be the perfect top-order impetus that India's hitherto circumspect ODI style needs.However, if this is indeed a long-term move and the management is planning to give Rishabh Pant a long rope as an opener, the likes of Shikhar Dhawan and Ruturaj Gaikwad could feel hard done by.