"Let Rishabh Pant be Rishabh Pant" - Teammate explains India star's 'method to madness' after day 4 of IND vs ENG 2025 1st Test

Team India opener KL Rahul underlined that there is a method to madness with Rishabh Pant. It came following the latter's outstanding knock of 118 on Day 4 of the first Test against England at Headingley in Leeds on Monday. Rahul said that the 27-year-old needs to be left alone and that people should cease to question his methods.

The keeper-batter had played some questionable shots in the first part of his innings but survived some close shaves. On what was a slightly tricky surface to bat on, Pant played calmly and reached the three-figure mark in the 70th over bowled by Shoaib Bashir. In the process, he became the first Indian keeper-batter to make two centuries in a Test.

After the day's play, Rahul told the reporters that there is a reason Pant averages well above 40 in Test cricket. He said, as quoted by Sky Sports:

"It is hard for us to understand his mindset but you let Rishabh Pant be Rishabh Pant. There is obviously a method to his madness as he is averaging 45 in Test cricket. There is a lot of thinking about the outrageous shots he plays. You just try to calm him down as much as possible between balls."

By scoring twin centuries in a Test, Pant also became only the second keeper-batter after Andy Flower to achieve the feat.

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"Someone's got to win tomorrow" - KL Rahul expects England to give a tough fight to India

KL Rahul. (Image Credits: Getty)

India have set a daunting 371 for England to chase down on the final day. Rahul said he expects a blockbuster finish on Day 5 but warned that batting on the surface will be far from easy. The Karnataka-born cricketer added:

"It's a blockbuster finish waiting tomorrow. At this stage of cricket I'm at, I'm a lot more calm in my head and not chasing numbers. Someone's got to win tomorrow, it'll be an interesting day. The wicket is not as easy as the first innings, they won't find it as easy to hit the ball on the rise."

Although Zak Crawley was dismissed in the opening over in the first innings, he batted through to stumps in the second as England reached 21/0 in six overs.