Rishabh Pant guides Bangladesh’s fielding setup

It’s unusual for the bowling side to take suggestions on how to set their field.

Typically, the captain is responsible for selecting the bowler and arranging the field. Bangladesh’s captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, is known for his adeptness in these decisions. However, a peculiar scene unfolded during the first Test against India.

Surprisingly, Shanto changed the fielding position based on the opposing batsman’s advice. This occurred during the Chennai Test, where Pant, who scored a brilliant century in India’s second innings, suggested a change in the fielding setup. Pant, alongside Shubman Gill, formed a partnership of 167 runs, leading to his sixth Test century. Throughout this partnership, the Indian wicketkeeper-batsman also assisted Bangladesh in adjusting their fielding.

It seemed almost as if Pant was saying, “While I’m scoring runs for India, let me help you out with your fielding.” During the over, he gestured to place a fielder at mid-off, saying, “Someone come here. Brother, we need a fielder here.” Following Pant’s guidance, Bangladesh positioned a fielder accordingly. It didn’t seem like a joke; Pant communicated as if he were part of Bangladesh’s team. The Bangladeshi players appeared to have made the fielding change as if responding to a teammate’s suggestion.

With his impressive shots, Pant dominated the game, also playfully leading the opposition with his words and gestures. The 26-year-old Indian batsman seemed to have hypnotized the Bangladeshi players for a moment with his “dark magic.” Pant scored 109 runs off 128 balls, including 13 fours and 4 sixes, before being caught off the bowling of Mehedi Hasan Miraz.