NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant once again found a way to entertain fans, but this time it was not with his bat. During India’s warm-up game against Sri Lanka Cricket XI in Colombo, the Indian wicketkeeper-batter showed off his football skills while batting in the second innings.Instead of using his bat to deal with deliveries going wide, Pant used his feet to kick the ball away. The unusual moment soon caught attention on social media, with clips of Pant’s act being widely shared.
Pant takes 21 balls to get off the mark
Pant was dismissed cheaply in India’s first innings, but he took a completely different approach when he came out to bat again.The left-hander was unusually cautious and remained scoreless for his first 21 balls. His slow start even appeared to surprise head coach Gautam Gambhir, who was watching from the dressing room.However, after spending some time at the crease, Pant changed gears and brought out his familiar attacking style.
Three sixes as Pant changes gears
Once he found his rhythm, Pant began taking on the Sri Lankan bowlers. He smashed three huge sixes and played attacking shots against Keshav Nuwanta and Dilum Sudheera.Sudheera then changed his bowling plan in an attempt to keep Pant quiet. He started bowling well outside the leg stump to stop the batter from playing his big shots.Rather than simply leaving the deliveries going wide, Pant used his feet and kicked the ball away like a footballer. The unusual move brought plenty of laughter.India won the warm-up game by six wickets, giving the team valuable match practice before the Test series.India will now take on Sri Lanka in the first Test of the two-match series, starting August 15 in Galle.The second and final Test will start on August 23 in Colombo.
