Pant jokingly explains why he set Bangladesh field in Chennai Test

India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant revealed that his lighthearted moment of directing Bangladesh fielders during the Chennai Test was driven by his focus on improving the “quality of cricket.” In India’s dominant 280-run victory against Bangladesh, one of the more amusing moments took place on Day 3, when Pant, while batting, was seen helping Bangladesh set their field.
After the match, Pant shared that this action was influenced by a conversation he had with former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja. According to Pant, Jadeja had advised him to always aim at enhancing the overall quality of the game, regardless of the opponent or situation. Pant explained that when he noticed two fielders in the same area and none at mid-wicket, he suggested to the Bangladesh fielders that one should move to the vacant position.
Chennai Test, Day 4: Highlights | Report
“Firstly, I keep talking to Ajay bhai off the field. He says that ‘the quality of cricket should keep improving’. Whenrever you are playing and whoever you are playing against. I saw that there was no fielder there (mid-wicket). I saw two fielders at the same area. So I told them to move one fielder to the mid-field position,” Rishabh said.
Pant made a remarkable return to Test cricket in Chennai, delivering a blistering 109 off 128 balls. His aggressive innings, combined with Shubman Gill’s composed knock, helped India recover from a difficult situation at 81/3 in the second innings. In the midst of the match, the 26-year-old was also back at his comical best with his on-field antics. He was seen on multiple occasions having fun chats with Bangladesh fielders, and also his usual behind the stumps antics while keeping for India.
While Gill held his ground with calmness and determination, Pant took the initiative to attack the Bangladesh bowling from the start. He played with a high strike rate of 85.16, providing the momentum India needed to build a substantial lead. Together, Pant and Gill propelled India to a second-innings total of 287, setting an imposing target of 515 runs for Bangladesh, which ultimately proved unreachable for the Najmul Shanto-led side.