Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant played mind games with England by talking in Hindi: Sachin Tendulkar’s master observation

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Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant played mind games with England by talking in Hindi: Sachin Tendulkar’s master observation


Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant‘s centuries have put India in the driver’s seat against England in the first Test of the five-match series at Headingley, Leeds. The duo put on 209 runs for the fourth wicket as Gill and Pant piled the misery on the England attack of Ben Stokes, Brydon Carse, Shoaib Bashir, Josh Tongue and Chris Woakes. Both Gill and Jaiswal mixed caution with aggression as they took a calculated approach to take the hosts down.

Sachin Tendulkar lauded Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill for their centuries(AP)
Sachin Tendulkar lauded Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill for their centuries(AP)

Former India batter Sachin Tendulkar, the leading run-scorer in international cricket, had a few interesting observations to make about the duo’s approach in the first Test. He also lauded how both the batters kept playing “mind games” by conversing in Hindi in the middle.

The Master Blaster also said there is a method to Pant’s madness as he spoke about the left-handed batter’s knack of playing a falling paddle sweep of both the seamers and spinners.

Also Read: IND vs ENG, LIVE Score: Ravindra Jadeja tries to push India to 500

“Rishabh’s falling paddle sweep is not accidental. It is intentional and extremely clever. Going down with the shot allows him to get under the ball and scoop it over leg slip with control,” Tendulkar wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

“Also noticed something interesting during Bashir’s spell. Shubman and Rishabh were speaking loudly in Hindi between deliveries. It wasn’t just casual talk. They were playing mind games with the bowler, trying to disrupt his rhythm. These minor details may not appear on the scoreboard, but they can have a significant impact on the game,” he added.

In the first Test between India and England, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Gill and Pant slammed centuries as the visitors went past the 450-run mark.

England stage a comeback

The stage was set for India to surpass the 550-600-run mark, but England staged a comeback in the first session on Day 2. The England attack claimed four wickets: Gill (147), Karun Nair (0), Pant (134), and Shardul Thakur (1).

Stokes claimed the wickets of Karun and Shardul while Gill and Pant were dismissed by Shoaib Bashir and Josh Tongue, respectively. India were eventually bowled out for 471 as Stokes and Tongue took four wickets each.

Throughout the first innings, the likes of Jaiswal, Gill and Pant were seen conversing with each other in Hindi.

Even on Day 1, Pant was seen telling Gill how England have worked on the ball to bring reverse swing in the mix. Jaiswal also spoke to Gill, asking him to stay a strict ‘No’ if he feels the left-hander is going after a non-existent run.

Earlier, England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bowl first in Headingley.


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