Defensive mindset does not necessarily work all the time in the realm of red-ball cricket. This could be the possible reason behind Rishabh Pant’s ploy to play fire with fire as he counterpunched on-song Scott Boland on the first ball that he faced right after Virat Kohli’s departure in Adelaide.
India faced a tough challenge against the hard new pink ball that the Australian bowlers donned under the floodlights. Trailing by 157 runs, they lost three wickets quickly in the last session of the second day with Virat Kohli being removed by Scott Boland. Unbothered by the pressure, Pant took an aggressive route to dwarf Boland’s confidence.
After drawing the outside edge of Kohli on the third ball of the 15th over with a length delivery outside the stumps, Boland was all set to bowl against new batter Pant. He went for a similar line and length against the wicketkeeper-batter, but to his surprise, Pant charged down the ground with nimbe feet and thrashed him through the wide of mid off region. The ball raced away to the cushions like a tracer bullet and the Twitterverse lauded the left-hander’s courage.
First ball, team under the pump, ball doing plenty …
Rishabh Pant! #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/1FosQ1I3Ju— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 7, 2024
India 66/3
Virat gone
Night session
Boland Breathing Fire
But I don’t give a fuck, I am Rishabh Pant 😭🔥 pic.twitter.com/J2xnsqPNOv— Sandy (@flamboy_pant) December 7, 2024
Beast
Pure audacity
“Virat departs.
Night session.
Boland steaming in.
🚨 Enter Pant, and he plays this shot against Boland! 🚨 Pure audacity! 🔥 #RishabhPant #AUSvsIND pic.twitter.com/5OFKb0V9O9— Hemant Bhavsar (@hemantbhavsar86) December 7, 2024
3 big wicket down
India is trailing
Facing First bowl
Boland with pink ball under light
And he stepped out and scored a boundary that’s Rishabh Pant for youpic.twitter.com/dBgDcRLoHD— Abxd (@ABXD_DC) December 7, 2024
Unreal
Great onw
Great welcome to Scott Boland by Rishabh Pant.
And then he almost runs out himself. 🤣🤣
Blockbuster Pant!#AUSvsIND #BGT pic.twitter.com/sAiMnxph52— Amrit Pradhan (@amritpradhan63) December 7, 2024
I don’t like the pant boland match up. Cummins gotta bowl #AUSvIND
— 💭 (@tristan_xvi) December 7, 2024
Pant charges
Legend
Virat gone.
Night session.
Boland steaming in.
🚨 Pant comes & played this shot vs Boland 🚨 pic.twitter.com/BLMzUOkAg7— ɴɪᴛʀᴏɢᴇɴ 𝕩 (@NITROnSUHAIL) December 7, 2024
