Playing in only his fourth first-class match, Rishabh Pant showed courage and determination as he took the fight to the opposition as Delhi looked to overhaul Maharashtra’s first innings total of 635 for two declared.
After keeping wickets for almost two days, he batted for 514 minutes to score his 308 off 320 balls to take his team within sniffing distance of a first innings lead. During his long stay at the crease, while on 297, his bat flung towards square-leg as he looked to score off Chirag Khurana and ran a single while the bat lay near the umpire. Asked about the incident, Pant said, “There was too much sweat in the gloves. I had seven-eight pairs with me and all had become wet. It was almost time for drinks and an over before drinks break is due you aren’t allowed to change gloves. When I asked for a change of gloves, I was informed that it will be drinks break is due and the bat slipped due to sweat.”
His marathon effort drew praise from the likes of Virender Sehwag who lauded the lad on social media. “I came to know only when you all (journalists) told me about it. Since the match was going on I didn’t know. To be congratulated by Viru bhayyia and Akash bhayyia (Akash Chopra) like this feels good at a personal level. I will work harder to earn wishes like this,” said a visibly surprised Pant.
Asked if he had ever met Sehwag, Pant said, “I wanted to bat with Viru Bhaiya, but that never happened. He was my favourite player.
Unfortunately he left to Haryana when I made my first-class debut last season. When we met during IPL, I told him I wanted to bat with him, he said koi nahi, meri tarah batting karle (doesn’t matter, now you bat like me).”
“I have kept that in mind. I hadn’t thought that I have to bat like him but I like his style. I try to play my way,” he mentioned.
While entertained with some big shots, the youngster showed great maturity to shape and build the innings with the lower order. He farmed the strike as aimed to overhaul the Maharashtra total on the last day of the match when he found and able ally in Varun Sood.
Complimenting Sood’s efforts, Pant said, “I am very happy with the way Varun Sood batted. He did what I had asked him to do. I had asked him not to go for runs, if we get them we take them because we had to plan the innings. If you have to score around 300 runs with the tail then you have to plan for it. We had planned that I will make the runs and he will hold up one end.”
As he went after the bowlers, he scored his triple hundred at a fast clip. His 308 came off 320 balls. Discussing the knock he said, “I hadn’t thought about scoring a triple ton or something as we were fielding for the first two days. The aim was to now score the 600 odd runs that we had let them score and take the first innings lead somehow. So I was batting accordingly. With the aim of overhauling the target I got to a hundred and then 150 and eventually as I batted I reached 300.”
Asked if this was his longest innings after wicketkeeping, he said, “Yes, this is the one. I got a good experience of what a long day is like in Ranji Trophy. This is my fourth match. I am not feeling tired right now. I feel the exhaustion but not that I can’t do anything else. After batting, they asked me if I could do it (‘keep wickets again when Maharashtra batted for the second time). I told them there is no problem. It was good. It was for the first time I was batting for long. I had always wanted to play a long innings, I did it but I could have done more. I had thought about 400.”
“This is not the first time that I have been on the field on all four days. It has happened last year while playing Under 23 match in Baroda. It had happened during an Under 19 match as well,” he stated.
Discussing his batting, he further said, “I didn’t think, what if I miss a chance or anything like that. Since I was batting, it was my responsibility to take the innings forward. I missed the ball, I was trying to control myself. Anyone can get out. I am feeling sad. The main thing was not about making runs, the main thing was to give Delhi three points at any cost. That sadness will stay.”
“It felt good to take the responsibility; that the team thinks that I can and supports me. It is a good feeling when you make runs for the team. The most important thing in this match was that I could contribute to my team. But would have felt better if we had got the first innings lead,” he said.
His efforts were appreciated by the other triple centurion of the match, Swapnil Gugale as well. The Maharashtra captain said, “I will appreciate his innings, because he singlehandedly took the game away. When we were batting, I had a partner and we were scoring equally.
In this innings, he was taking all the initiative of his own. From the other end, he was not getting any support. A few of them got 40s and one of them got a 70, but he singlehandedly took control. He was timing the ball so well, it was good to watch. It’s a good sign for a youngster. For a youngster to play such kind of an innings is a motivation for others who are coming through the ranks. It’s a good thing.”
“I would say it was an astounding innings. Even though the track was helpful for batsman, the way he paced his innings it was really creditable. He scored 200 in 170 balls and that too after keeping wickets for two days. He showed good promise,” said Maharashtra’s coach, Kalyani.
Pant had worked on preparing himself especially for challenges like these in four-day cricket ahead of the season. “I had worked on my patience. I did meditation and a lot of training because I knew that in days (multi-day cricket) you have to ‘keep as well a lot. And that definitely helped in this game. If you want to play a big innings after ‘keeping then you have to train well. The result of the training and preparation is that I wasn’t too tired after this game. If you are tired then sometimes runs won’t come and you might also play a loose shot. Getting out is one thing, but getting out by playing loose shot because you are tired is another thing.”
The youngster is known to set himself targets as he strives to attain the next level each time. Speaking about the habit he said, “To push myself I always set targets and I feel good only when I achieve that. I told myself that I would remove my helmet only when I make 200 in a Ranji Trophy match and today when I crossed the mark I removed my helmet after a long time. I don’t remove it at hundred. Since the time I had set myself that target I haven’t removed my helmet on 100 or 150. Today I made 200 and then removed my helmet, felt happy that I achieved this target now I will set myself another.”
Speaking about the takeaways from the game he said, “This knock has improved my patience. I have been working on it. When I got a loose delivery I capitalised on it but don’t just go after the bowling. I have also gained confidence that I can stay on the ground for full four days; that I am fit so in that sense it was good knock for me.”
