India vs England, series on the line, team reeling at 21/2, intense pressure. What happens next? Well, Rishabh Pant finally comes home.
Swashbuckling, in-your-face and fearless. These are the characteristics that often describe an innings played by Rishabh Pant. But during the final ODI between India and England, Pant's infamous 'natural game' was nowhere to be seen. At least till the very end. It was in 2018 that Pant made his ODI debut. Some shockers, a lot of disappointments, and innmerable head-scratching shots later, Pant finally delivered.
He took his time, got himself in, made sure the team suffered no more casualties, played the situation, and showed us a different side to his game. One that has been in the making ever since he made his debut. There are certain innings that announce a player's arrival. In Tests, for Rishabh Pant, Gabba's 89 will hold that place for as long as he plays. His 125 against England at Old Trafford has done the same for him in the ODIs. It is not the score or the fact that it was his maiden hundred. But, the game when it all came together for him.
If he made the same number of runs batting first in the first match of the series, the knock, obviously, would have gathered attention and warranted appreciation. But the knock came under pressure. The pressure to get his team over the line. The pressure to finally come good in the white-ball format of the game. It was like he shut out all the noise, tamed his inner beast (that won a few times initially), scored a magnificent 100, and let the beast out to hunt David Willey in the end. And at the end of it all, Rishabh Pant had finally come home.
It was as perfect an innings as one can build. And it taught us, Pant's critics, and probably himself, a lesson. If Rishabh can bid his time and get himself in, there's not a single situation that Pant can't get his team out of. And that is what makes Rishabh Pant, well, Rishabh Pant.
