While the crowd may not have remembered, Rishabh Pant might have. He must have had an immense feeling of satisfaction when the Mohali crowd on Friday was chanting “Pant, Pant” as he belligerently mauled the Sri Lankan bowlers. This is almost exactly three years after the crowd was chanting “Dhoni, Dhoni” to taunt, mock, ridicule the youngster after he made fumbles in an ODI game against Australia in the same venue.
On March 10, 2019, Pant made two fatal mistakes behind the stumps, giving reprieves to Peter Handscomb and Ashton Turner in Australia’s mammoth chase of 359; Handscomb scored a century while Turner blasted 84 off 43 to complete a record chase. Pant, just 21 at that time, had to face the frustrations of the fans as they chanted Dhoni‘s name to jeer the youngster; the shoes he was asked to fill were massive.
Forward three years, March 4th 2022, Pant has already become one of the biggest match-winners India have ever had. He has given some great moments to celebrate in the past 15 months.
The comparisons with Dhoni have faded away; people have started to embrace Pant for who he is, for the batting style and the mindset he brings. For the entertainment, he provides, orbiting them into a different world, pushing them onto the edge of their seats. Whirlpooling them in a range of emotions, making them wonder what next. And finally what could have been.
He left the fans frustrated again today, but this time received grand applause – chants of “Pant, Pant” – while walking off the field.
India were in a tricky situation of 228-5, the pendulum could have swung either way. Rishabh Pant ensured that it went India’s way. Pant played sedately – by his standards though – for more than half of his innings: he reached his fifty 73 balls, and then went ballistic, especially targetting the Lankan spinners – Lasith Embuldeniya, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka. He rumbled from 50 to 96 in just 19 balls but missed out on what would have been his fifth Test century.
There was a disappointment on his face and body language – he was down on his haunches, unwilling to leave the field. However, that disappointment was as much about getting out in the nervous nineties – for the fifth time in Test cricket – as it was about getting out with a casual defensive stroke and not while looking to hammer it for a six. The chants of “Pant, Pant” may have done some mitigating on that pain.
