If what led to the snaring of Rishabh Pant in the second innings of the second Test were frozen in a collage of frames, a picture of credit-sharing, support-seeking and collaborative success would emerge
In his ‘Pant-slaying’ moment, Jack Leach remembered what led up to it.
It unfolded in the Second Test against England at Chepauk, during India’s second outing with the willow. A flighted delivery bowled over-the-wicket by the English left-arm spinner proving the perfect bait, a rushing Rishabh Pant was left stranded outside the crease. The ruse had succeeded, and Leach could have quietly pocketed the glory. It was perfectly legit for him to do so.
Instead, after setting up Pant’s stumping by Ben Foakes, Leach’s eyes swept towards Joe Root, followed by a bobbing index finger pointing to where part of the credit was due.
From the commentary box, Sunil Gavaskar deconstructed the scene for the audience: Leach was reminding Root it was he who had asked him to go…