When did the boy in the bubble become a man?

How Rishabh Pant outgrew his former self to become cricketing gentry. 

Rishabh Pant’s eyes are wide open, attentive; he’s taking in every word that Harsha Bhogle is putting to him. Pant is still. He answers to the point. Bhogle is speaking to Pant about his happy demeanour. Pant shows little emotion, continues to answer, much like a 20 something at an IIM interview. There’s an effervescence to Bhogle, largely professional but genuinely happy to be speaking to Rishabh Pant. 

How can you not love Rishabh Pant? 

 *** 

 In the recent England Test series, Axar Patel brought out a barrage of burbling chirps from Pant. He called Axar many things, mostly endearing, often funny. Meanwhile, Axar made a joke out of England’s batsmen. Pant-Patel were an outrageous pairing. 

In Delhi Capitals’ fifth match, Axar Patel returned after recovering from Covid. Pant did none of that “Well bowled, Axar Patel!” or “Bapu!” calling. In a little over a month, Pant had changed significantly. His eyes appear wider, far more open; his mouth somewhat closer, almost pursed. 

In a few years, the change that Rishabh Pant has undergone, both as a cricketer and a person, are probably far more than what most go through in a lifetime. 

A few IPL seasons back, Pant was the chosen one – he was in promos with MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli. In Pant, the broadcasters found a compelling new story, and a potent counterpoint to Dhoni and Kohli. 

In the 2020 season, Pant was arguably unfit, overweight. It appeared he did not have access to exercising equipment. Yet along with Shikhar Dhawan and his skipper, Shreyas Iyer he handheld DC’s batting into the final. His strike rate was at an all-time low – 114, that, compared to an overall IPL strike rate of 150+. An average of 31, three not outs, and his season’s first 50 in the final. The season was as much about realisation as it was about restraint. 

The Australia and England Test series that followed made Rishabh Pant the leader of the pack. In Virat Kohli’s absence, he was India’s most compelling batsman. What followed against England was an encore. Pant was back playing all three formats, first choice wicketkeeper for India, edging past Wriddhiman Saha, Sanju Samson, KL Rahul. 

It’s no coincidence that Pant and Pujara make a solid pairing in the middle. Pant is no stranger to Pujara’s restraint in the middle. 

In the current IPL season, Pant restrained himself from hitting a six in the first two games at Wankhede. After 37/4 against Rajasthan Royals, Pant showed his other options as a batsman – he stayed deep in the crease, breaking Rahul Tewatia’s length repeatedly for fours either side of point. On show was Pant’s sharp blade and mind, an ability to harness his ego which often made him maul spinners over the top. 

Five matches later, Pant has hit just two sixes. Yet he has four wins as a captain. 

*** 

At this stage, Pant’s numbers are uncannily like last season’s; the averages are similar, there’s that one fifty. The strike rate is much higher at 131. With two matches at Chepauk and three at Wankhede; the added demands of a new captaincy, sustained life in a bio bubble from last season’s IPL; it does appear Pant is playing well within himself. With the added knowledge that after him, the batting can be a tad thin. 

 Shreyas Iyer’s absence led to the addition of Steven Smith at three. That Smith is more adept at ODIs than T20s suits DC’s approach – his addition is to stall last season’s collapses. The team’s approach is straight out of the MS Dhoni playbook – to take the game deep rather than reveal one’s hand too early and risk losing it in the power play. 

This approach isn’t too dissimilar to Pant’s Test approach. Most Pant’s Test innings start with the measured drive down mid-off or a cut past point for that single to get him off the mark. Pant the Test batsman has all the time in the world. There’s an acceptance that he can bat on, there are no limited overs. Till he reaches the 90s at least. 

 *** 

There was an almighty serious video of Rohit Sharma interviewing Roshabh Pant about his approach. In between, there’s some pokerfaced leg pulling from Rohit– “you think of all this?”. Pant remains poker faced and gives an earnest answer. He is aware. This goes on the BCCI.TV feed. 

As with most Indian cricketers, there are numerous videos of Pant doing his gym routine. There’s something of him working out to the desi rip-off of Spiderman. Espiderman – the song that Pant made famous from behind the stumps. Yeah, he pretty much sang it all. Will Pant sing something as DC captain?

Beyond being the DC captain, Pant is also the brand ambassador for the franchise owners. 

*** 

Ravichandran Ashwin appeals for LBW. As with most Ashwin appeals, he’s convinced and wants to review. There’s a consultation with his wicketkeeper and captain. Pant’s eyes are stretched wide open. It’s as if he’s listening with them. Eight seconds are left, neither as hasty as Kohli, nor too last minute as Rahane – Pant nods a slight disapproval; there’s a hint of a smile, in the sparkle of his eyes. 

*** 

In the last eight months or so, often much about Pant the cricketer conjured Paul Simon’s song, Boy in the bubble. Little did I notice when he became a man in the bubble. 

And in that bubble Pant knew he needed to show strength. Strength that was born out of not hitting sixes. Embracing boredom. Denying himself. Batting till the end. Batting in the beginning. Opening with Shikhar Dhawan in the Super Over. Reverse scooping Rashid Khan for four. Scrambling that last ball leg bye. Going for a second when the game was already won. 

And midst all that, thankfully, even as DC captain, he continues to chirp his easy-easy-easy many times over. What a soundtrack. Even when it goes mute. It’s within us. From Brisbane to Ahmedabad. 

How can you not love Rishabh Pant? 

 First published here

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Amit Mishra’s welcome-back party

When the IPL’s second highest wicket-taker has a low-key bash in the middle. 

Amit Mishra’s shoulders are drooping. Most bowlers aren’t buoyant when they’re being hit out of the park. Or when they’re wicketless. Or when they’re on the bench. Or not in the squad. Or off the radar. 

 

Where did Mishra go? Where did he come from? Who is he? What was he? Does anybody know. Does anybody care to know. For many, he is that ridiculous runout meme. 

For some, he is that elder statesman in the team who accompanies balls to the boundary. That he and Ashwin play for the Delhi Capitals, and often find themselves on the field together is a coincidence. 

Last IPL season both were injured and indisposed quite early. Mishra played only 3 games. Ashwin returned and played 15. While Mishra has been around in the IPL since its inception, Ashwin checked in the following year. 

*** 

On the back of Amit Mishra’s 5-for on Test debut in 2008, something compelled me to rush to Mohali for the last day’s play. Sitting in the stands, as Mishra snared Michael Clarke, the last wicket to fall, I had a strange premonition: Mishra will not have a long Test career. 

Most of Mishra’s seven wickets were either bowled or LBW, there was so much guile, a ripping googly, all that you want to see in a leg spinner, it was there. Yet Mishra seemed by stature and built, almost too modest to hold his own in Indian cricket – the XI was made of maestros, Zaheer Khan was at the peak of his powers; Gambhir-Sehwag opening, Tendulkar, Laxman, Ganguly still in the middle; there was Harbhajan and Kumble. MS Dhoni was skipper, man of the match too. 

Amit Mishra played 22 Tests across 8 years. He never took a 5-for again. 

*** 

In the early days, Amit Mishra was a thing. He knew it too. Interviewed way back in an Ed Hardy t-shirt, he talked up his batting, how he had so much to achieve. In the current IPL edition, Mishra spoke about how he was working on his batting again. In between somewhere, Mishra scored a double century for Haryana. There were some Test 50s too but his batting continued to be an aberration in the IPL. 

*** 

Whether Mishra accepted it or not, he was in the team as a bowler. If it came to his batting, that meant the Delhi Capitals were already sunk. 

Both Mishra and Ashwin were picked for the Capitals’ first game. While Ashwin went the distance, 47 off his 4 overs, Mishra bowled only 3, conceding 29 runs. Mishra did not play DC’s next two games, Ashwin did. 

In DC’s fourth match, both paired up again. Ashwin had bowled two in the power play, Mishra found himself pitted against Mad Max Surya Kumar Yadav. It’s evident, Yadav is a cricketer in a hurry. And in his hurry he intends to make quick work of most bowlers. Mishra was meant to be most bowlers. A perfectly acceptable delivery on middle, pitched up, had Yadav mash potato it, inside-out over covers. Someone needed to put an arm around Mishra. Instead, he bowled the last-resort slider down leg. It was spanked down behind square. It appeared that Mishra was being spanked. 

From behind the stumps, Rishabh Pant was encouraging his Mishi bhai. But Mishi Bhai looked as if he needed a hug. 

That’s the thing about Mishi bhai. He’s old enough to be everyone’s bhai in the team. His appearance, what with the dyed beard and hair implants, he looks like everyone’s favourite uncle. 

So while Rohit Sharma ripped into Mishra for fun, Pant saw trouble, and walked up to him. This was clearly not something that could be addressed from behind the stumps. The bowler needed a word. 

It helped. Mishra flighted another one. Sharma took the bait. The bait was a legbreak. The shot was mistimed, pocketed at long on. 

Amit Mishra is happy. When he is happy, he bounces. Literally. Up and down. Like a happy, little child. There is a twinkle in his eye. He is drawn to everyone, and everyone to him. That huggable, endearing quality of Mishra’s radiates right through. 

All is good in Mishra’s world. The DJ is playing his redemption song again. There is laughter, much teasing, horsing around. It’s almost as if it’s Amit Mishra’s welcome back party. And everyone is invited. It’s an annual event. It’s happened year after year after year after year, why wouldn’t it happen this year again? 

Of course it will. It is that quintessential story of the journeyman IPL cricketer. That guy who didn’t cut it in Tests or ODIs or T20Is beyond a point, but he’s just right for Amul chocolates or something like that. 

That is Amit Mishra. The sweet taste of the slow, flighted ball, t-e-a-s-i-n-g you – and as a batsman you want to get teased – it’s only Amit Mishra, harmless, sweet, little Amit Mishra – what can he do – so you go for it. 

And you fall for it. Like so many before you. And so many after you will. 

Two balls later, Hardik Pandya couldn’t resist Mishra. A couple of overs later, Keiron Pollard was all at sea to a googly. It was mesmerising, as if Mishra was bowling in slomo; slowing the world down to his terms. 

Three in the bag, Pant was audacious enough to hand Mishra the ball in the 18th over. Which is when he had Ishan Kishan yorked for dessert. 

It took Amit Mishra’s 4-0-24-4 to break MI’s five match winning spree against Delhi. Ashwin bowled four wicketless overs for 31. Looks like Mishra will play the next game. 

Why won’t he? They won in Chennai after what seems like a hundred years. Though it’s only been a decade or so. 

First published here 

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Manish Pandey, Rahane and other ODI bats in the IPL.

 

And other stuff that got everyone in splits - DC, SRH, Punjab. You can watch here on Editorji

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India's Test series win in Australia #TheFilm

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Glenn Maxwell's switch hit!

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How Prithvi Shaw reduced gaps between bat-pad, you-him

After the lows of IPL 13 and the Day Night Test in Adelaide. 

Prithvi Shaw is still. There is a secret mantra running through his head. Perhaps it’s his own concoction of self-belief. Perhaps it’s something that Pravin Amre planted there. 

Prithvi Shaw is still. It’s the last ball of the eighth over from Jadeja. A widish delivery that Shaw leaves alone. It’s not called a wide though. Shaw sets his stare on the umpire. The camera zooms into the batsman’s stare. It’s steely, ripping right through the umpire. Shaw remains still. 

A few months back, Prithvi Shaw was far from still. There was no secret mantra running through his head. Instead, there was a concoction of self-doubt. It was IPL 2020 in the Middle East. It was before Pravin Amre’s counsel. It was before he had turned 21. 

 Before this though, Shaw had already built a reputation as a prodigy. Though school cricket, Under-19, Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, India A, Delhi Daredevils, Shaw had earned his stripes. He had earned a Test debut. And like Pravin Amre before him, he scored a century on debut. 

At 18 years 329 days, Prithvi Shaw became India’s youngest Test centurion on debut. The only younger Indian to score a century was Sachin Tendulkar. In 2018, when you are being compared to Tendulkar, it’s often with the heft of the man’s 200 Tests and accomplishments spanning decades. 

Prithvi Shaw had played four Tests before Adelaide’s 36 all out. He was deemed good enough to be picked for the first Test of the series. He wasn’t good enough for the rest of the series. 

By now, Shaw’s return to India, seeking Pravin Amre out, working on his game have been well documented. As have his 827 runs that led Mumbai to win the Vijay Hazare Trophy. A tournament where he did not get bowled even once. 

*** 

Before this, Prithvi Shaw’s dismissals through the gate had become a talking point. From the IPL right up to the Pink Ball Test in Adelaide. The gap between his bat and pad, his half stride forward, had made experts out of Shaw’s many critics. 

There was such a predictability to it, his Delhi Capitals’ coach, Ricky Ponting called it on air in the Adelaide Test. Before the start of the IPL’s 14 edition, Ponting had spoken about Shaw’s unwillingness to correct batting flaws in the nets: “He had an interesting theory on his batting last year – when he's not scoring runs, he won't bat, and when he is scoring runs, he wants to keep batting all the time.” 

 *** 

January, 19, 2021, Brisbane: Prithvi Shaw has been on the bench for three Tests, he cannot remain still any more. Rishabh Pant has scaled the Gabba fortress, barely has the win registered, somehow, in the middle with him is an overtly effervescent Prithvi Shaw. 

While Pant started his IPL career with Delhi in 2016, Shaw began his with the franchise in 2018. Both are high impact T20 players with IPL strike rates of 152 and 143. With such high impact comes high risk. The IPL has far too many Indian batsmen with strike rates less than 130. 

Pant and Shaw’s own teammate, Ajinkya Rahane has an IPL strike rate of 121. Shaw’s opening partner, Shikhar Dhawan, whose IPL career is on the up since 2020, strikes at 127 across seasons. 

In Pant and Shaw’s batting is something of a wild rocker’s approach: live fast, die young. That is the wild side of T20. It is what separates the format from ODIs; what makes it so impetuous yet so compelling. By stifling players such as Shaw and Pant we will be in denial of the format. 

In recent times, Pant and Shaw have been India’s most scrutinized cricketers. Over the last year, this has often meant being whimsically picked and dropped across formats. Pant has even been berated by the team management publically. Somehow it seems to have worked with him. Social media has been particularly rough on both players, as if the two were responsible for the ills of the last year. 

*** 

 April 10, 2021: Prithvi Shaw is ripping it on the boundary. He has chased down the ball. Isn’t that what fielders do? Not if you are Prithvi Shaw who had a horror run on the field in IPL 13. Misfields, dropped catches, nothing was sticking to Shaw. Just criticism. 

While Dubai’s untraditional ring-of-fire lighting, in addition to the dew, sweaty palms, lack of practice for months was held responsible for some simple dropped catches by Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja amongst others; the storyline was different when it came to Shaw’s slipups. Both he and Pant were called out across media for their fitness. 

*** 

 Pravin Amre cannot sit still. He’s in the Delhi Capitals’ dugout. His boy, Prithvi Shaw is in the middle. Amre is beaming and speaking to everyone and anyone around. He has the joy of a gregarious uncle who told you so: “see, see, you see that…yes, we worked on that too…and that”. 

In the middle, Prithvi Shaw is still. His blade moves. Knifing through the air, on to the ball, through the gap. Ball after ball. Shaw dissects two fielders at backward point and a flying slip, down to the third man boundary. 

 Shaw’s rapid bat speed enthralls Sunil Gavaskar in the commentary box. Elsewhere there will be comparisons with Virender Sehwag. Talk of his fast hands, relentless hitting, piercing of gaps. 

As a viewer, one must be still. Else we will miss Prithvi Shaw’s whizzing blade. 

 Aside: Prithvi Shaw and Pravin Amre both have one Test century (both scored on debut) with almost identical Test batting averages of 42.37 and 42.5

First published here

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Gambhir lashes out at Dhoni's World Cup winning six.

10 years later, little has changed.

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