NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant’s ultra-aggressive style has often drawn both admiration and criticism, and on Day 1 of the second Test at Edgbaston, it backfired spectacularly. India were beginning to settle into a strong position, but Pant, who had just started looking comfortable, threw away his wicket in a moment of misjudged bravado.The dismissal came in the 48th over of India’s innings, a moment that swung momentum England’s way. Shoaib Bashir, the young off-spinner, was in the middle of a tidy spell when he floated one up invitingly at 74kph.
Pant, sensing an opportunity to put pressure back on the bowler, went for a big hit over long-on. But the delivery was a touch fuller and slower than expected. Pant didn’t get under it properly, and the ball went flat and hard straight to Zak Crawley at long-on. The dismissal left Shubman Gill visibly frustrated at the non-striker’s end as India lost their fourth wicket against the run of play.Pant’s shot selection suggested he was lured into a trap meticulously set up by Ben Stokes and Bashir — a flighted bait that the flamboyant left-hander couldn’t resist. Given the rhythm Pant was in and his recent form, the shot was all the more disappointing.Pant had been in exceptional touch leading into the second Test. He was the standout performer in the series opener at Headingley, becoming only the second wicketkeeper in Test history to score centuries in both innings of a match. That performance not only solidified his role as India’s most dangerous counter-attacker but also propelled him to sixth in the ICC Test batting rankings — a new personal high with 801 rating points.Pant now sits just behind the likes of Joe Root and Harry Brook, trailing the top spot by only 88 points. It’s a return to familiar heights for the 26-year-old, who had previously reached the fifth spot in 2022.Elsewhere in the rankings, Yashasvi Jaiswal retained his No. 4 position, while Shubman Gill dropped to 21st. Among bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah continued to dominate the charts with 907 points, ahead of Rabada and Cummins. Ravindra Jadeja remained the No.1 all-rounder despite a quiet match.Pant’s dismissal at Edgbaston, however, was a reminder that brilliance needs balance — something he’ll look to restore in the remaining matches of the series.
