"They took the heavy roller" - Rishabh Pant's explanation for contrasting batting shows of India and England
Rishabh Pant has explained the contrasting batting performances from India and England on Day 1 of the Headingley Test. Pant said the track was quite "soft" when India got bowled out for 78 in the first innings, whereas the hosts used the heavy roller before their dig and got a much better surface to bat on.
The batting captain gets a chance to choose between the heavy and light rollers on the pitch before every innings after the first one. Light rollers are generally utilized to even out minimal cracks without dramatically altering the character of the pitch. The heavy one, on the contrary, is applied when a team wants to flatten the surface as much as possible.
Rishabh Pant, while replying to Sportskeeda's query in the post-day press conference, credited England for using the conditions well.
"Yeah, a little bit, but not much. They took the heavy roller so the wicket was much more settled down and they batted nicely also. When we batted in the first innings, the wicket was slightly soft and they bowled well and we could have applied ourselves better. Like I said before, we are going to learn from our mistakes and move on to the next innings," said Pant.
England put up a brilliant and unblemished 120-run partnership in the first innings, with both openers recording half-centuries. The hosts will now look to surge an already substantial 42-run lead and bat India out of the contest on Day 2.
"Chant whatever you want but don't throw things at fielders" - Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant also spoke about the crowd's behavior on Wednesday, with regard to some of the members reportedly throwing a plastic ball at Mohammed Siraj at the boundary. He said the pacer was "very upset" with it and advised spectators against such actions, saying it was unhealthy for the sport.
"I think somebody threw the ball inside on Siraj and he was very upset. Yes, you can chant whatever you want but don't throw things at the fielders. It's not good for cricket," Pant added.
Rishabh Pant himself scored a 9-ball 2 in the first innings, drawing massive criticism from the team's fans. He'll be desperate to make it count and prove his critics wrong in the second essay.