Team India keeper-batter Rishabh Pant has opened up on the viral moment from day 3 of the opening Test against Bangladesh at the Chepaik Stadium in Chennai. With former cricketer Saba Karim hilariously asking Pant if he is Bangladesh's captain or Najmul Hossain Shanto after setting the field for the tourists, the youngster gave a hilarious explanation for it.
In the video that surfaced on social media, Karim asked Pant after the first Test.
"2nd innings mein Taskin Ahmed gendbaazi karne aa rahe they, unke liye aap kyun field setting kar rahe they? Kaptaan kaun hai Shanto ya Rishabh Pant Bangladesh ke liye? Unhone baat bhi maan li. (When Taskin Ahmed came on to bowl in the 2nd innings, why were you setting the field? Who is Bangladesh's captain, Rishabh Pant or Shanto? He also complied with it.
Pant answered:
"Firstly, meri Ajay bhai se yehi baat hoti hai, off the field bhi baat hoti hai toh yehi baat hoti hai ki cricket toh behtar honi chahiye na, kahin par bhi khelo. Chahe doosri team khele ya khud ki. Wahan pe fielder nahin tha, 2 fielder ek jagah khade they. Toh maine usko bola, ek fielder idhar laga do."
(Whenever I speak to Ajay bhai off the field, he says the game should be good to watch, whether it's your team or the opposition. I saw that two fielders were standing at the same point, so I said put one over there.)
"I try to read the situation in my own way" - Rishabh Pant
Pant, who walked in on day 1 against Bangladesh in Chennai when India were 34-3, scored an enterprising 39 and responded with a century in the 2nd innings. Speaking at the post-match presentation southpaw opened up on his century celebration, claiming that he got emotional and is glad to return to the format he enjoys the most.
"It was emotional, I wanted to score each and every match which didn't I couldn't do, but coming back to Test cricket, which is where I belong the most... I just enjoyed batting and got a little bit emotional. But at the end of the day, being in the field gives me more pleasure than anything else. I try to read the situation in my own way."
