Pant-Gill Mind Games Impress Tendulkar in 1st Test at Leeds

Sachin Tendulkar lauded Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill for smart mind games during their 209-run stand. Pant’s calculated shots and Hindi chatter with Gill helped disrupt England’s bowling rhythm

Leeds: Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar praised the “mind games” played by Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill during their crucial 209-run stand for the fourth wicket in the first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England.

Resuming on 65 not out, Pant displayed composure early on Day 2, handling England’s attack with maturity before shifting gears into his trademark aggressive mode. He reached his century with a six off Shoaib Bashir, celebrating with a trademark somersault. Pant eventually scored 134 before being trapped LBW by Josh Tongue.

---

“Rishabh’s celebration is as entertaining as his batting! Well done, Rishabh,” Tendulkar posted on social media.

Tendulkar also analysed Pant’s unorthodox yet calculated paddle sweep and the verbal strategy the pair used at the crease.

“Rishabh’s falling paddle sweep is not accidental. It is intentional and extremely clever,” Tendulkar wrote. “Going down with the shot allows him to get under the ball and scoop it over leg slip with control.”

He further observed that Pant and Gill were speaking loudly in Hindi between deliveries during Bashir’s spell, using it as a tactical move to disrupt the bowler’s rhythm.

“It wasn’t just casual talk. They were playing mind games with the bowler. These little things don’t appear on the scoreboard but can have a big impact,” he added.

Pant, who was bought for Rs 27 crore by the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2025 auction, had faced criticism after a poor showing during the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy and an underwhelming IPL season.

However, former cricketer Deep Dasgupta defended him, noting Pant’s consistent Test match value.

“I know everyone hates an ‘I told you so’, but this is exactly why I kept saying IPL form will have no bearing on what Rishabh Pant does in England,” Dasgupta posted. “Always the X-factor, a proper match-winner in this format. Now the Indian keeper with the most Test centuries!”