Rishabh Pant's commendable innings of 146 put India in control against England on Day 1 of the Edgbaston Test. Meanwhile, he explained his approach on Friday.
Team India managed to finish Day 1 of the fifth and final Test against England on a high on Friday. The rescheduled Test from last year's Pataudi Trophy is being played at Edgbaston in Birmingham. The visitors began Day 1 shakily, as it was down to 98/5 before wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant (146) and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (83*) took control of the innings and put on a record 222-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Also, Pant slammed his fifth Test century to ensure that India was well in control of the innings before off-spinner Joe Root dismissed him. Meanwhile, Pant said he just went with the flow rather than playing unidimensional shots.
"In English conditions, if a bowler pitches it up, it's important to disturb his rhythm. 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 focus on what the bowler is trying to do," framed Pant during the post-day press conference.
Pant also admitted to having worked on his defence and articulated, "Yes, I've worked a lot on my defence. 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 focusing 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. It's a good sign to show respect to a good ball. I'm not focusing much on the defence. Rather, I'm focused on my game. I might play some different shots sometimes, but it's about giving your 100 per cent. If a ball is there to be hit, I go for it. I try to back it over some time, and that's helping me," added Pant.
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Speaking on his stand with Jadeja, Pant enunciated, "When you lose too many wickets early on, you have to give yourself more time. I just tried to stage a partnership with Jaddu Bhai and not lose a wicket before tea, and it worked for us. Rahul [Dravid] Bhai told me I should play one ball at a time and not focus too much on other things."
"The discussion was about creating small partnerships, maybe in 25-30s; that's how you convert it into a big one. Yes, there was pressure early on, but I focused on the process. It's about what I want to do as a player and not what the opposition is thinking," concluded Pant.