 "Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan is part of Sony Sports Networks' team of experts for India's tour of England. PTI")
Former bowling all-rounder Irfan Pathan criticised an Indian batter for playing “flashy shots” during the first Test against England at Headingley, Leeds and it’s wasn’t wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant he was talking about. Cricketer-turned-commentator Pathan instead directed his comment at opener KL Rahul, who scored a fluent 42 before getting dismissed shortly before tea on the opening day, poking at an away-swinger from Brydon Carse that flew straight to Joe Root at first slip.
Pathan critical of Rahul’s shot selection at Headingley
“The Indian openers added more than 50 runs in Headingley for the first time in 39 years. So, India wouldn’t have expected a better start than that. However, the two wickets that fell (in the first session), I will be slightly more disappointed with KL Rahul because playing flashy shots is not his strength,” said Pathan, who is an analyst with Sony Sports for the ongoing tour of England.
“He played flashy shots twice or thrice, the ball went in the air, and he could have gotten out there. When the wicket fell, you had gotten set by then. You had already stitched together a 91-run partnership, you had made the ball old, and downed their spirits,” he added.
The Indian team management decided to continue with Rahul as the opener after he formed a successful pairing with Yashasvi Jaiswal during the tour of Australia, and the pair got the Shubman Gill-led Indian team off to an ideal start after England captain Ben Stokes opted to field at Headingley.
While Rahul departed eight short of a fifty, Jaiswal would go on to bring up his fifth Test hundred, with captain Gill and his deputy Pant also going past the three-figure mark.
While Jaiswal and Gill were elegant and focused on punishing loose deliveries from the Englishmen, Pant played a typical knock full of unorthodox shots, including a one-handed slog for a six as well as a “falling paddle”, in which he charged down the track and smashed Stokes for a four in just his second delivery.