Watch - Rishabh Pant entertains with stump mic chatter on Day 1 of India v England Test
Rishabh Pant's sparkling commentary from behind the stumps lit up a dull, attritional day of cricket on the first day of the first Test between India and England in Chennai.
The wicketkeeper was at his chirpy-best, exhorting the India fielders to lift their body language by unleashing rib-tickling wordplays. Not to forget his Twitterati-favorite 'come on Ash' catchphrase which was peppered nicely throughout the England innings.
At one point, Rishabh Pant was caught quipping "Mera naam hai Washington; Mujhe jana hai DC" (My name is Washington; I want to go DC) to off-spinner Washington Sundar, referring to the capital of the USA.
Another fan recorded him saying "Tera Bhai hai Katappa (Your brother is Katappa)".
Apparently, the BCCI loved the 23-year-old's commentary as well. The board subsequently compiled some of his jokes in a Twitter post.
Twitter reacts to Rishabh Pant's rib-tickling comments behind the stumps
Rishabh Pant is renowned for his chirping behind the stumps, some of which was caught during the twin tours of Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21. His carefree outlook is often criticised by fans though, especially following a run of low scores with the bat.
However, it seems that his series-changing knocks in Sydney and Brisbane have turned the tide in his favor. Most of the netizens loved Rishabh Pant's 'commentary' behind the stumps on Day 1 in Chennai. Here is a compilation of the same.
England's day in Chennai
Except for Rishabh Pant's entertainment, there wasn't much to enjoy for the hosts, as England piled up 263 runs on the first day. Captain Joe Root (128*) led the visitors from the front, scoring a magnificent hundred in his 100th Test.
Dom Sibley was impressive as well, scoring 87 runs off 286 balls. The pair looked comfortable out in the middle before Jasprit Bumrah removed Sibley in the last over of the day with a pacy delivery on the sumps.
Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of the Indian bowlers with two wickets from 18 overs. Ravichandran Ashwin chipped in with the wicket of Rory Burns for 33.