NEW CHANDIGARH: The afternoon sun is unforgiving here. Outdoor activities are not advisable in this peak summer. The Indian players turned up for practice at 1 pm. As they went through the drills, one couldn’t miss the grimace on their faces. Yet, a laughter frequently echoed around the new PCA Stadium. It was Rishabh Panttwo days away from playing his 50th Test match when India take on Afghanistan in a one-off Test on Saturday. Pant was yet to make his Test debut when India last played Afghanistan in a Test in 2018. In these eight years, Afghanistan played just 12 Test matches. But Pant has been on a manic ride to become arguably the best wicketkeeper batter in India’s Test history and the most impactful Test batter in the decade. It’s difficult to wipe the grin off Pant’s face. He could wisecrack lying on a hospital bed even as his limbs didn’t move a day after a near-fatal car accident. This week will be different for him though. He remained the usual playful mate during practice on Thursday. But he is not the vice-captain of the team anymore—a responsibility given to him exactly a year ago when Indian cricket dived blind into a major transition in Test cricket. The grin now is a veil over emotional upheaval. At times, it felt like he was trying too hard not to break character. The milestone match has become a starting point for him. “I don’t think you need a formal title to be a leader in a setup like this. I think Rishabh understands that and I think he’s committed to being a good role model and a senior player,” India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said of the situation with Pant. “He’s been in great spirits again. He’s always one of those guys who’s happy and cheerful and drives the spirit in the team. We’ve got no complaints from him. You wouldn’t even notice that his role in the leadership structure has changed,” he added. If appointing him the vice-captain liberated him immediately on the tour of England last year, relieving him of the role in his 50th Test casts aspersions on his position as a part of a leadership group. If he was looking around for some reassurance after a tumultuous IPL season with Lucknow Super Giants, he was left with more to prove. The conversations upon joining the Indian team must have been awkward. But it was important that they happened. “I actually heard him and Gauti (head coach Gautam Gambhir) having a chat yesterday around how he wanted to conduct himself as a senior player. It extends to your communication but also how you’re going to play. With Rishabh’s brilliance, we don’t want to take away all the stuff that he does. Occasionally, if he can adjust his game to play the situation slightly more, I think that’s something you’ll see him work on,” Doeschate gave a peek into the conversations. Cut to Pant’s 45-minute long batting session. The vertical bat was more in play and stone-dead defense against the spinners took prominence with Gambhir constantly chatting with him from behind the nets—a rare scene since Gambhir’s tenure started in Aug 2024. The team management has made it amply clear that they are seeking alterations in Pant’s game which could be a tad deviation from his strong free-wheeling instincts. It’s up to Pant to retain that grin and joy in this journey which has suddenly become about his survival.
