INDIA’S TOUR OF ENGLAND, 2025
“It’s an opportunity for us to build a new culture from there. Or take a culture forward from there.” ©Getty
It was no surprise that Rishabh Pant was among the noisiest in India’s first practice session at Headingley on Wednesday (June 18): laughing, teasing, remonstrating when points went against his team in an intra-squad fielding drill. To those who have heard him, over the stump mic or otherwise, it’s expected. The childlike simplicity to his game and manner fits right in in what is a largely young team. But now Pant’s also a senior in the team.
In his pre-series press conference as the new vice-captain at Headingley, the 27-year-old faced this curious dichotomy. He was addressed as a youngster part of the young team and then called a senior member.
“It feels good, boss. Finally!” he exclaimed, when asked about what it feels like to be looked at as a senior player.
Would it change the instinctive nature of his game that’s already put him in the league of the game’s great keeper-bats 43 Tests into his career?
“See, it’s an extra added responsibility. But at the same time, when you’re in the middle of the ground, you’re not thinking, I’m the vice-captain, I’m the senior player. You’re just a batsman in between,” Pant said.
The vice-captaincy also means a more active role in shaping this new era alongside Shubman Gill, India’s new Test captain. The two will bat close together, at Nos. 4 and 5, and are expected to define the culture of the dressing room. “I think me and Shubman have a really good camaraderie off the field. Especially off the field,” Pant said. “Like, you know, if you are good friends off the field, it eventually comes on the field. It’s better for cricket always. And that is something I’ve always believed. And me and him, we gel really well together. We keep on having conversations. And the kind of comfort zone we have with each other, I think that is really going to be special for us.
“See, the idea is very simple. Obviously, it’s a new start for us. It’s definitely… people have left. Yes, there will be a gap. But at the same time, what we can do is, it’s an opportunity for us to build a new culture from there. Or take a culture forward from there. Just adding it to it. Being in a great frame of mind, helping the new players to learn and improve themselves in overseas conditions. I think that is something we look forward to. And sharing knowledge with each other, having that care and love in the dressing room for each other. And that is something we’re looking forward to.”
That sense of shared responsibility also extends to the field. India are returning to red-ball cricket after a long diet of white-ball formats, and England isn’t known for forgiving technical rust. Pant acknowledged that quick adaptation was essential.
“I think when England comes, the basics of cricket, that comes up a bit. Because when you play T20 cricket, one-day, the skill, the technical point of view goes down a bit. But coming to England, you have to keep it in mind. Mostly it [the switch of format] is mental. A little bit of technical [adjustment] is… like, in T20, you’re going to open up your stance a little bit… but in England, you’re going to play a little bit side-on. One thing which really helped me come to England was playing close to the body.”
All of this format change, new era, new leadership group narrative would suggest that India could start a rare Test series, even away from home, as underdogs, but it’s not a notion that Pant subscribes to. “As a team, we don’t think in that way. We want to come to England. We want to win this series. That’s the kind of mindset we come with,” he said.
“Because we are not thinking we are a young team. The kind of conversation we have in the group is: ‘how we can win this match, win this series. How everyone can contribute. For us, it’s not about getting glory with individual players. Because if the team wins, everyone wins. That’s the kind of thought process. We want to take in the future. The communication we’ve had with players is, ‘Let’s focus on the team goal. Rather than focussing on the individual stuff.”
© Cricbuzz
