IND vs ENG: 'What is the tone?' - Gautam Gambhir slammed after Rishabh Pant’s 'brainfade' dismissal

Rishabh Pant's Century at Headingley Overshadowed by Coaching Strategy Debate

India's Rishabh Pant (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

Rishabh Pant delivered a stunning century in the first Test against England at Headingley on Saturday, eclipsing MS Dhoni's record for the most centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper-batter. The 27-year-old's impressive innings of 134 came to an end when he was dismissed by Josh Tongue. This dismissal ignited a debate, with commentator Dinesh Karthik questioning whether head coach Gautam Gambhir's potential intervention might have inadvertently disrupted Pant's natural, aggressive style of play.

Pant celebrated his century with an energetic somersault, delighting the spectators in Leeds. His contribution was pivotal to India's total of 471, joining Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill as the century-makers for the visiting team during the innings.

Pant's dismissal occurred in the 108th over. Tongue bowled an inswinging delivery that Pant chose to leave, resulting in the ball striking his pad near the knee roll. Replays confirmed that the ball would have hit the middle and leg stump.

Dinesh Karthik, providing commentary for Sky Sports, noted a shift in Pant's approach, suggesting it followed a possible communication from the coaching staff. "Also very interesting, when a message was sent out to Rishabh Pant, it curbed his style of play. He was just very carefree with his stroke making, and yet the feeling that a message was sent to tell him to calm down doesn't work for certain players, I guess," Karthik observed during the broadcast.

Karthik emphasized the crucial nature of the communication strategies employed between coaches and players. "As a coach, it's completely understandable when you want to get a message across to the batter. But over time, you realise, for certain players, how you send that message becomes very important, what is the tone, what is the language used that gets the best out of the batter," he elaborated.

The former Indian wicketkeeper-batter proposed that a different communication method might be more effective for Pant. "Maybe with Rishabh Pant, it needs to be a different way in which you get things done," Karthik stated.

India's innings faltered significantly during the first session of Day 2, with the team losing four wickets in the last half-hour. Shubman Gill (147), Karun Nair (0), Rishabh Pant (134), and Shardul Thakur (1) were all dismissed within this period.

India's final seven wickets fell for a mere 41 runs, with Josh Tongue and Ben Stokes each claiming four wickets for England. England's captain, Stokes, won the toss and elected to bowl first at Headingley.

The innings showcased three centurions from India: Jaiswal, Gill, and Pant. Their contributions helped India reach a significant total, even though the late collapse exposed some vulnerabilities. These individual performances laid the foundation for India's first innings score of 471.

The match situation underscored India's batting strength, highlighted by the centuries, but also revealed a susceptibility to losing wickets in quick succession. England's bowlers, particularly Tongue and Stokes, exploited this vulnerability to limit India's total.