ENG vs IND: Did Rishabh Pant alter his batting style to achieve his record seventh Test century?

Former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly expressed satisfaction with Rishabh Pant’s ability to temper his aggressive style, allowing him to settle in and score a century during the opening Test against England at Headingley in Leeds on Saturday.

“Rishabh handles fast bowling well, but I wasn’t impressed with his batting in Australia; he was attempting too many shots. Yesterday (Friday), he focused on more controlled batting, aligning with his strengths. He is an exceptional player in Tests and will excel across all three formats,” Ganguly commented.

Jasprit Bumrah was a leading candidate for the captaincy, contingent upon his fitness to participate in all five matches. Currently, it appears he will only play three games, which is primarily why Shubman Gill has taken over the role. Ganguly believes Bumrah should participate in the last two Tests of the series and trusts Gill to make smart choices throughout.
“This is merely the first Test; Shubman had decisions to make prior to the match. There are four fast bowlers available which will provide some relief and support to Bumrah. Otherwise, he would typically bowl 20 overs alone, making it challenging for him to play even three Tests.

“I think the combination is appropriate, and if Shardul can deliver longer spells, Bumrah could be utilized as a wicket-taker in shorter bursts.”

The Men in Blue were put in to bat first after Ben Stokes won the toss on Friday. Yashasvi Jaiswal (101), Gill (147), and Rishabh Pant (134) all scored centuries, while Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair were dismissed for ducks. At one point, India appeared to be dominating the innings, but England responded with Josh Tongue and Stokes taking four wickets each. India was eventually limited to 471 as England began their batting in the second session of the second day of the match.