Rishabh Pant ends the suspense over his batting order ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test

India vice-captain Rishabh Pant ended the suspense over his role in the batting order ahead of the first Test of the upcoming Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy between England and India. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, June 18, Pant revealed that he will continue to bat at No. 5, which has been his preferred spot in Tests.

In the same press conference, Pant also revealed that newly-appointed India captain Shubman Gill will bat at No. 4 in the first Test, which will take place at Headingley in Leeds from Friday, June 20.

The Delhi wicketkeeper-batter also mentioned that India are yet to finalize who will bat at number three.

"I think there is still some discussion going on around who will play at [number] three, but definitely, [numbers] four and five are fixed. Shubman [Gill] will bat at number four and I am going to stick to number five, as of now. As for the rest, we will continue discussing it," said Pant.

"I am not thinking about that all the time" - Rishabh Pant on putting pressure on opposition bowlers

In this press conference, when asked about how he feels putting opposition bowlers under pressure, Pant responded by saying that it is not something he thinks about all the time and said that it is based on how the game is placed.

"It depends on the match situation. It always helps to put pressure, not just on the spinners but also on fast bowlers. However, as a cricketer, I am not thinking about that all the time, and I think it depends on how the game is going and how the game is unfolding. It just happens depending on the game situation; we try to play in that direction based on that," said Pant.

When India last toured England, in 2021, Pant amassed 349 runs in five Tests, ending the series as India's second-highest run-getter behind Rohit Sharma. He also ended the series as its fourth-highest run-getter overall.

Pant scored one century and two half-centuries in nine innings, and batted at an average of just over 38. This time around, with India in a transition phase, a lot will be expected of the southpaw, both in front of and behind the stumps.