New Chandigarh: The afternoon sun is unforgiving here. Outdoor activities are not suitable during this peak summer. Indian players came for practice at 1 pm. No one could miss the glow on their faces as they went through the exercises. Still, laughter often echoes around the new PCA Stadium. It was Rishabh PantIndia are two days away from playing their 50th Test when they take on Afghanistan in the only Test on Saturday. Pant was yet to make his Test debut when India last played Afghanistan in a Test in 2018. In those eight years, Afghanistan played only 12 Test matches. But Pant is on a frenetic ride to become the best wicket-keeper batsman in India’s Test history and the most impressive Test batsman of the decade. It is difficult to wipe the smile off Pant’s face. He could lie awake in a hospital bed, even a day after a near-fatal car accident with his limbs still intact. This week will be different for him though. He was his usual playful partner during practice on Thursday. But he is no longer the team’s vice-captain — a responsibility he was given exactly a year ago when Indian cricket plunged blindly into a major overhaul of Test cricket. The smile now covers the emotional upheaval. At times, it felt like he was trying too hard to break character. The milestone match has become the starting point for him. “I don’t think you need a formal title to be a leader in a set-up like this. I think Rishabh understands that and I think he’s committed to being a good role model and a senior player,” India assistant coach Ryan ten Duschet said of the situation with Pant. “He’s been in great spirits again. He’s always one of those guys who’s happy and cheerful and drives the team spirit. We’ve had no complaints from him. You wouldn’t even know that his role in the leadership structure has changed,” he added. If he was immediately released on the tour of England last year while being named vice-captain, relieving him of the role in his 50th Test, his position as part of the leadership group was in doubt. If he was looking for some reassurance after a tumultuous IPL season with Lucknow Supergiants, he had more to prove. The discussions on joining the Indian team must have been awkward. But it was important that it happened. “I actually listened to him and Guti (head coach). Gautam Gambhir) had a conversation yesterday about how he wants to conduct himself as a senior player. This extends to your communication but also how you are going to play. With Rishabh’s glory, we don’t want to take away all the things he does. At times, if he can adjust his game to play the situations a little bit more, I think that’s something you’ll see him work on,” Doeschate peeked into the conversation. 45 minutes long batting session of cut to pant. The vertical bat was more in play and the stone-dead defense against the spinners gained importance as Gambhir constantly interacted with them from behind the nets — a rare sight since the start of Gambhir’s tenure in August 2024. The team management has made it very clear that they want changes in Pant’s game which may be a slight deviation from his strong freewheeling instincts. It’s up to Pant to maintain that smile and joy on a journey that has suddenly become about his survival.
